Hours passed, during which the little party lay utterly exhausted and
overcome, sunk in a deep sleep, which partook more of the nature of a
swoon. They were only a few yards away from the mist, and in such a
position that, had a breeze arisen to waft it toward them, the
probabilities were that they would never have awakened more.
It was Panton who first slowly opened his eyes to look round and gaze
wonderingly at his companions, then at the golden mist, whose deeper
folds were orange and warm soft red.
For it was evening, and as he turned toward the sinking sun it was some
minutes before it occurred to him that it would be tropic night almost
directly after, and that his companions should be roused. At the same
moment came the recollection of why they were there, but without the
strange confusion from which he had before suffered, the long sleep
having carried it off.
The others started into wakefulness at a touch, and stood staring at him
helplessly.
"Are you ready to try again?" he said in a low voice full of emotion.
"Yes," came spoken simultaneously.
"Then come on, we must find him now."
He took a step or two forward, and the others followed, but a moment
later Smith seized him by the arm.
"No, sir," he cried. "It won't do, and I should be no man if I let you
go."
"Loose my arm!" cried Panton, angrily. "Recollect, sir, who you are!"
"I do, sir," said the man stoutly; "but you're not my officer, only a
passenger; and if our poor old captain was alive, or if Mr Rimmer was
here, he'd say I was quite right."
"What do you mean, sir?" cried Panton, whom the exposure to the mephitic
gases had left irritable and strange.
"I mean, sir, as it's my dooty to stop you from going to sartain death,
and you may say what you like, and call me what you like, but me and my
mate, Billy Wriggs, is going to stop you, so there."
"Such insolence!" cried Panton angrily.
"All right, sir. You're going to do as I do, aren't you, Billy?"
"Course I am, Tommy. And you give in, sir. He's got a horful long head
has Tommy Smith, and what he says is right; we aren't going to let you
go."
"Cowards!" cried Panton angrily.
"That's right, sir, you just go on like that a bit, and call us names.
It'll ease your mind ever so. We don't mind, do we, Billy?"
"Not us," growled Wriggs. "He's right, sir. Give it to us."
"Brutes!" cried Panton, as the darkness began to approach with wonderful
speed. "Here, Drew, we must go together. We cannot desert our comrade
at a time like this."
"No," said Drew, "it would be the act of cowards if we could do
anything; but the men are right. You cannot go."
"What? You side with them? Cowards! Yes, worse. How could we ever
face his friends unless we had striven to the last?"
"We have striven to the last, man. Look! In a few minutes it will be
black night, and to attempt to plunge into that horrible vapour would be
madness, weakened and overwrought as we are."
"I thought so," cried Panton. "The poor fellow has but one who will
make a fight for him."
"Stop!" cried Drew, clinging to his arm.
"Let go!"
"I say you shall not."
"Let go, or take the consequences," cried Panton furiously, and he
raised his gun as if to strike at his companion with the butt.
"Here, Smith, Wriggs, help me, he is half mad. He must not, he shall
not go alone!"
"Then come with me, cowards!" cried Panton.
"No, sir, we aren't a coming to see you die," said Smith quickly, as he
seized the hand which held the gun. "Now, Billy, ketch hold behind."
The struggle began, but it was a vain one. No one present was gifted
with much strength; but it was three to one, and as the darkness fell
the four shadowy forms looked dim and strange, writhing here and there,
Panton striving hard to free himself from the restraining hands as he
made a brave fight, but gradually growing weaker till, all at once,
Wriggs, who had retained his position behind during the struggle,
suddenly clasped his hands round the poor fellow's waist, and lifted him
right from the ground.
"That's got him," he growled. "Now, Tommy, you get hold on his legs,
and we'll lie him down."
"Right!" cried Smith, and in this ignoble way Panton would the next
minute have been thrown down, had not a shout suddenly come out of the
gloom behind them.
The effect was magical.
Smith let go of Panton's legs, and Wriggs unclasped his hands to place
them to his mouth and give forth a tremendous yell.
"Ahoy! Ship ahoy!" he cried.
"Ahoy!" came from very near at hand, followed by a couple more distant
calls, and another so faint as hardly to be heard.
"Ahoy! Here away!" shouted Smith, and the next minute there were
footsteps, and a familiar voice said,--"Where are you?"
"Here!" cried Drew eagerly.
"Thank goodness!" cried Mr Rimmer. "Found you at last. I was afraid
something had happened to you, gentlemen. Ahoy!"
His shout, intended to rally his followers, was echoed four times, and
as soon as he had replied he turned to the breathless party.
"Hallo, gentlemen, been running?" he cried. "I didn't like to leave you
longer for fear anything might have gone wrong, so I came on with half a
dozen men. How plaguey dark. Hallo! Where's Mr Lane?"
There was an ominous silence and Mr Rimmer repeated his question.
"Don't say anything has happened to the lad," he cried.
Then Drew spoke and told him all.
"What, and you stand there like that without making another try!" said
Mr Rimmer fiercely.
"There! You hear?" cried Panton. "I'll go with you, Mr Rimmer. The
poor fellow must be saved."
"By acts, Mr Panton, not by talking," said the mate, sternly. "This
way, my lads," he cried, as first one and then another of the _Planet's_
crew hurried to his side. "Here's fresh work for you, I've found some
of the party, but young Mr Oliver Lane's missing. Volunteers to find
him?"
"All on us, sir," came eagerly.
"That's right," said the mate. "Now, then, which way did he go in?"
"Mr Rimmer, you don't know the danger!" cried Drew.
"No, sir, nor don't want to till after the job. Now, then, point out
the nearest spot as far as you can recollect."
"I think I can guide you," said Panton.
"Hold hard, please, sir, just a moment," cried Smith. "You don't know
what it is, sir, as you're going to do."
"Silence, sir! who spoke to you?" snapped the mate. "Wait till your
advice is asked."
"Tommy Smith's quite right, sir," growled Wriggs.
"Silence, sir."
"Right, sir, but I stands by my mate," growled Wriggs.
"Now, then, Mr Panton, I am waiting. Quick!"
"I cannot let you go into that terrible danger without making another
protest," cried Drew. "Mr Rimmer, we have done everything that man
could do in the way of trying to save the poor lad's life."
"Possibly, Mr Drew, but I have not done all I mean to do. Now, then,
Mr Panton, forward."
The gentleman addressed stepped forward at once, and with the mate and
the six men who had accompanied him close behind entered the curtain of
mist, invisible now save as increasing the darkness and shutting out the
sparkling stars.
"No, no, don't you go, Smith," cried Drew just then, as the sailor made
a movement to follow the others.
"But he'll think I'm scared, sir, if I don't go," cried Smith.
"Ay, I am coming, too, Tommy."
"No; it is utter madness," cried Drew. "Stand here both of you, ready
to help them when they come out."
"Mean it, sir?" cried Smith.
"Yes, of course, man."
"Hear that, Billy. Well, the mate didn't tell us to come arter him, and
they're safe to come back."
"Ay, they air--if they can," said Wriggs gruffly.
"Ah, if they can, mate. That's a true word," cried Smith, "Hi! Look
out. They've had enough of it a'ready."
For at that moment one of the sailors ran staggering back through the
darkness and fell heavily.
"Help, someone, help!" came in the mate's voice, and by a tremendous
effort he too staggered out, half bearing, half supporting Panton, and
both falling heavily before they could be supported.
"Hi! All of you this way!" roared Smith, but his words were evidently
not heard. However, they were unnecessary, for first two together and
then three, the party of sailors tottered out overcome by the fumes,
only one of them being sufficiently master of himself to sit down and
hold his head; the others fell prone on the dry burnt ground.
"They'll believe us now," said Smith with a dry laugh.
"Man, man, don't talk. Try and help them," cried Drew. "Hah, look
here."
"Can't, sir! too dark."
"Feel those men whether they have water-bottles with them; Mr Rimmer
here has."
"Right, sir. Here's one."
"Give them water, then," cried Drew, setting the example and pouring
some of the cool fluid between the lips of first Panton, and then of the
mate. But it was some minutes before it had the slightest effect, and
there was a time when it seemed as if a fresh calamity was to be added
to their other trouble.
But first one and then another began to mutter incoherently before
sinking into a heavy sleep, the mate, who was the most vigorous man
present, having the hardest fight of all, and when he did cease babbling
as he lay there in the darkness there was a coldness of hand and
weakness of pulse that was startling.
Then came a weary time of waiting in the darkness beneath the glittering
stars till all at once Smith suggested that he should light a fire.
"We don't want it to warm ourselves, sir," he said, "but it'll make the
place more cheery like and keep off the wild beasties if there are any
about."
"Where are you going to get your wood from, matey?" growled Wriggs.
"Ah, I never thought o' that, mate. There aren't none about here,
that's certain."
"And you don't want none," cried Wriggs, for suddenly the mist was lit
up by a bright glare of light and above it the globular-looking cloud
became illuminated as if from some burst of light below. "That's good
enough to see by, aren't it?"
Drew rose to his feet to stand gazing wildly at the bright illumination
which showed plainly enough the overcome men lying in uneasy attitudes
as they had fallen.
The two sailors sprang to their feet, for there was a quivering motion
of the earth, whose surface heaved as does a cloth held at the corners
and shaken. The next moment there was a tearing, splitting sound
running apparently toward them, and by the reflected light, there,
plainly enough, a rift could be seen opening slowly, more and more
widely, and evidently going straight for where Panton lay.
"Earthquake!" shouted Drew. "Quick! help!!" But the two men stood
shivering and helpless as if unable to stir, and the fate now of the
young geologist and the mate seemed to be sealed.