Oliver Lane's hands trembled and then became steady as the
fierce-looking rout of nearly nude savages came rushing on. No words
were spoken in those few brief moments, but it was an understood thing
among them all that they were to hold their fire till the Papuans were
close upon their hiding place, and then to draw trigger together, in the
full belief, or rather hope, that the volley they would deliver would
check the enemy, and the following fire from the second barrels complete
their discomfiture.
And so during those moments, as Oliver Lane and his companions watched
the on-coming rush--moments which seemed to be drawn-out to quite a
reckonable space of time--all waited with levelled piece and finger on
trigger for the sudden swerve in amongst them as the savages dashed
along the open ground with eyes dilated, teeth gleaming, and a fierce
look that betokened little mercy.
But the swerve in amongst the trees never came, no weapons were raised
by the on-coming foe, and, to the astonishment of the waiting party, the
savages dashed by like a human whirlwind till they were some fifty yards
onward toward the sea, when they stopped short and wheeled round to
stand looking back as if for the enemy from whom they had fled, while
Oliver and his party still crouched there, wondering what was to happen
next.
Then came the explanation of the savages' action. They were fleeing
from an enemy, but it was no human foe. Nature was at work once more.
There was a peculiar vibration of the earth, a cracking, rending sound,
and the earth opened in a jagged rift which ran on steadily toward the
enemy, passing the edge of the forest where the friends lay, and
starting the Papuans on again in headlong flight toward their canoe.
Then came a deep rumbling from the opening, a hot gush of steamy air and
a violent report from away in the direction of the volcano, and silence
once more deep and profound.
No one spoke for some minutes, as they all strained their ears to catch
the returning tramp of the fleeing savages. Then the horror and dread
were turned into mirth, perhaps a little hysterical on the part of
Oliver and Panton, for Wriggs suddenly rose to his knees, made a
derisive gesture with one hand, and then placed it to the side of his
mouth and yelled out,--
"Yah! Cowards!"
"Yes, that's it, Billy," said Smith, rising to his knees as well, and
brushing away some of the insects which were investigating his person.
"They were all scared because the mountain grumbled a bit. What would
some of the beggars have done if they'd been where we went the other
day?"
"Ah, what indeed!" growled Wriggs. "I don't see as we've got much call
to be feared o' such a set as them."
"Think they'll come back?" said Oliver.
"Well, not till we've had plenty of time to reach the brig," replied
Panton, "so let's get on at once. I say, look at old Drew!"
Oliver turned his head to see, with surprise and some amusement, that
now the imminent danger had passed, the naturalist had re-asserted
itself, and their companion was eagerly collecting specimens of the
wonderful parasitic plants which clustered over a decaying tree-trunk.
Then his own instincts were aroused by the beauty of at least a dozen
tiny sun-birds, perfect gems of colour and brilliancy, which were
flitting and buzzing almost like insects about the same blossoms, to
probe the deep richly-tinted throats with their long curved beaks.
"These are quite fresh," he said, "I must have a couple of specimens."
In his eagerness he opened the breech of his gun to substitute fresh
cartridges containing the smallest shot he had, but Panton arrested him.
"Don't fire," he said, "they may hear you and come back."
_Phut_!
A peculiar sound like a jet of air suddenly shot out of the crack in the
earth close by.
"What's that?" cried Panton, excitedly.
"Don't azackly know, sir," said Smith; "but I see a puff o' thin,
bluish-looking steam come up out of that bit of a split there."
Panton forgot all about his companions' firing, and ran to the edge of
the rift to find that it was not above a foot across, and that a hot
flush of steamy air was being forced out with a faint singing noise,
while, to his astonishment, the narrow crack which ran to right and left
quite out of sight was now gradually and quite perceptibly closing up.
He could see down for a few yards and noted an efflorescence of sulphur
rapidly forming on the sides, but this grew fainter and fainter, and was
soon lost in the bluish darkness.
"Wonderful! wonderful!" he muttered, as he sank upon his knees and laid
the barrel of his gun across to watch the rate at which the crevice
closed up, while he bent over from time to time to gaze down, the act
necessitating the holding of his breath to avoid inhaling the hot fume.
"I should just like to see one o' them charcoal chaps do that, Billy,"
said Smith.
"Yah! Them!" exclaimed Wriggs, contemptuously. "Why, matey, I'm
ashamed o' mysen. That's what's the matter with me."
"'Shamed, what on?"
"Being afeard on 'em. For allus speak the truth, Billy, my poor old
mother used to say, and I will now, that I will, and I don't care who
hears me."
"Spit it out, then, Billy. There's nothin' like the truth nowheres.
What are you been saying as warn't true?"
"Same as you did, messmate. I said as it was my legs as run away,
'cause they was feared."
"Well, so they was, warn't they? I know mine was."
"Nay, not you, Tommy. It warn't my legs as run away with me, it was me
as run away with my legs from them black-looking tar-swabs, and I'm
ashamed on it, that I am. Now, then, what have you got to say to that?"
"Nothin' at all, Billy," said Smith. "But just look, she's shutting her
mouth again."
"Who is?" said Wriggs, staring about. "I can't see no she's here."
"Old mother earth, arter trying to swaller that lot o' niggers, only
they was too quick for her."
There, plainly enough as he spoke, was the opening, but it was closing
more rapidly now, and a minute later the two sides touched after a
violent hissing noise, while one edge was several inches above the
other, marking where the rift had been.
"Ready?" said Oliver just then.
Panton rose to his feet, and, shouldering their guns, the little party
marched steadily back toward the brig, which they reached without
adventure soon after dark, the latter part of their way having been
guided by a lantern hoisted right up to the main truck for their
benefit.
"Take that light down at once," were Oliver's first words as he climbed
the side.
"Well, yes, I was going to take it down," said Mr Rimmer, "but it did
you some good, didn't it?"
Oliver explained the reason, for there had been no alarm of savages at
the brig.
Mr Rimmer uttered a low whistle.
"So near as that, eh?" he said. "Well, we were quite ready for them;
but, my dear lads, what a narrow escape for you. There, welcome back.
I shall be rather chary of letting you all out of my sight another time.
Get down into the cabin and have a good meal and a rest; I'll join you
as soon as I can."
He left the returned party and busied himself in seeing that all lights
likely to be visible from outside were carefully extinguished and the
men posted ready in case of an attack when the enemy had recovered from
their fright; but they had evidently received too great a shock to
return that night, and at last half the men were sent below and later on
several more, but the mate stayed on deck till morning came without
there having been the slightest alarm.