SHOWS HOW THE QUEEN CONDUCTED HERSELF IN TRYING CIRCUMSTANCES, AND WAS
FINALLY DETHRONED.
"Now, darlin'," said Mrs Lynch to Queen Pauline, as she sat on the side
of her bed looking contemplatively at the floor, "thim rascals'll be in
the Hall in two minits, so take me advice and give them more nor they've
got."
"But my object in sending for them is not to add to their punishment,"
said the queen.
"More's the pity, for they need it, an' the Coort was too tinder wi'
them intirely. Two weeks! why, two months would do them more good.
Anyhow, see that ye give them a fearful blowin' up."
"I'll do what I can for them," returned Pina, with a pleasant laugh, as
she rose and passed into the Audience Hall, where the prisoners and as
many of the settlers as could find room were already gathered.
Here a slight change of feeling seemed to have taken place in the
people. Perhaps the sight of Hugh and Malines--two men who had, up till
that time, carried matters with rather a high hand--bound, humbled,
helpless, and with bits of straw which had been given them as bedding
sticking to their garments, induced a touch of pity. At all events,
there was none of that riotous demand for vengeance which had
characterised them when under the influence of excitement at the trial.
Evidently a slight reaction in favour of the culprits had set in, and
the entrance of the queen, therefore, took place in solemn silence, no
one knowing why she had sent for the men or what were her intentions.
Poor Pauline was much embarrassed by the silence, and by the situation,
in which she found herself. Being a girl of mind, and not a mere human
machine made and content to run always on beaten paths, she had resolved
to try an experiment, and braced herself to the duty.
It was by no means a new experiment; on the contrary, it was older than
this world's history, though new to Pauline in the particular
circumstances--being an application of the law of mercy.
"My friends," said Pina, in a somewhat tremulous voice, which however
became firmer as she proceeded, "this is the first trial that has taken
place in our little colony, and as crime must be firmly repressed--"
("Punished, my dear--putt it stronger!" came in a whisper from the side
door, where widow Lynch was listening; but, fortunately, none of the
audience heard her.)
"I feel," continued Pauline, taking no notice of the advice, "that it
becomes me, as your chosen queen, to do what I think will be best for
the interests of the community."
"Hear, hear!" exclaimed some of the audience; but they gave no further
expression to their feelings, being still uncertain as to the queen's
leanings.
"No doubt," continued Pina, trying, not quite successfully, to swallow
the lump in her throat, "the punishment which you have awarded these men
is in strict accordance with your ideas of justice, and, being utterly
ignorant of law, I will not presume to doubt the wisdom of your
decision; nor would I interfere, either by increasing or decreasing the
punishment, did I not feel that this case is peculiar, very peculiar.
It is, as I have said, the beginning of crime in our kingdom, and little
beginnings, you all know, often lead to great results. A small leak may
sink a ship. Then, in the second place, this is the first offence
committed by these men, and first offences require peculiar treatment--"
("That's so, my dear--_powerful_ treatment. Give it 'em hot!" inaudibly
whispered the widow.)
"Turning to that Book," continued Pauline, "which shall be my guide in
every act of life, I find that God `delighteth in mercy.' Can I go
wrong in following humbly in His footsteps? I think not. Therefore, I
venture to exercise the privilege of my position, and extend mercy to
these men. The law has been vindicated by their trial and condemnation.
I now, in accordance with constitutional right, bestow on them a free
pardon."
This, being rapidly uttered, quite took the people by surprise, and
caused them to burst into a ringing cheer, above which the no longer
inaudible voice of the widow was heard to exclaim--
"Free parding, indeed!" in tones of indignant contempt, as she shut the
door with a bang and retired in disgust from the scene.
"I do not know," said the queen, when silence was restored, "on what
particular officer of my household," (a confused little smile and blush
here), "falls the duty of setting crim--I mean _forgiven_ men free, so I
now order the prime minister to cut their bonds."
Amid some laughter, Joe readily drew forth an enormous clasp-knife and
obeyed this command. Then the queen, stepping forward, held out her
hand with a bright smile to Hugh Morris. None but an utterly abandoned
wretch could have resisted that. Hugh gave in at once--seized the hand,
and not only shook it, but kissed it heartily. So did Malines, and so
did the others, and then they all dispersed--Teddy Malone signalling his
exit with a cheer and a shout to the following effect--
"Hooroo! boys--she's ivvery inch a quane, an' two or three eighths
over--cut an' dry, ready-made, hot off the irons! We're in luck--eh!
boys, aren't we?"
The latter remark was made, with a hearty slap on the back, to little
Buxley, who, turning at once and grasping Malone in his arms, went in
for a vigorous wrestle by way of relieving his feelings.
Whatever may be thought of this matter by men deep in the learning of
human law, we feel bound to put on record that this plan of Queen
Pauline the First proved a great success, for, from that day forward,
Malines and Morris and all the other conspirators became excellent
members of the community--gave up all ideas of piracy on the high seas,
set to work like men to fence in their properties, cultivate their
farms, prosecute their fisheries, and otherwise to make themselves
useful. Another result was that Silver Bay Settlement began to
flourish.
Similar results usually happen when men give up quarrelling and take to
working. The schoolroom was soon finished. The queen had her Bible
classes--plenty of Bibles having been found in the ship--and Dominick
even went the length of venturing to conduct special services on
Sundays.
But, strange to say, the more things prospered on the island, the more
pensive became the queen, as well as Otto and his brother. It was not
so with Dr Marsh, however. Some unknown influence seemed to keep him
always in a hearty frame of mind.
"I can't help it, Dom," said the queen, as she walked on the white shore
of Silver Bay one evening while the sun was descending in a golden
blaze, "I can't bear to think of them."
Poor Pauline's mind was running on a cheery bald little old gentleman in
Java, and a mild little spectacled old lady, with knitting proclivities,
in England, whose chief solace, in a humble way, was an elderly female
cat.
"Am I _never_ to see them again?" she added, as she sat down on a coral
rock, buried her fair face in her hands, and wept.
Dominick tried to comfort her, but in vain.
"It's all very well what you say, Dom, but here we are settling down as
if we meant to stay for ever. Even Otto talks less than he used to
about Robinson Crusoe, and no ships ever come near us, and the sailors
don't want to quit the islands, so we can't even use the ship we have
got, and--and--O darling mother! and dear, _dear_ papa!"
If Queen Pina, who broke down at this point, had only known that, about
the time she was speaking, the _dear_ papa was running for his life,
covered with mud from head to foot, in the midst of thunder and fire and
smoke, she might have mingled horror with loving emphasis as she
mentioned his name.
At the time of which we write, the island of Java, in the Malay
Archipelago, was convulsed by one of those tremendous earthquakes which
have at irregular intervals, from time immemorial, shattered its
mountains, overwhelmed some of its fairest lands, and killed thousands
of its inhabitants. It is not our intention, however, to touch on this
subject more than will suffice to elucidate our tale.
Deeply interesting is it, at times, to note the intimate connection that
sometimes exists between places and events which seem exceedingly
remote. One would imagine that the eruption of a volcanic mountain in
Java could not have much influence on the life or fortunes of people
living on an island nearly a thousand miles distant from the same. Yet
so it was, in a double sense, too, as we shall see.
The great shock in Java, which overturned the bald little old
gentleman's chair, causing him to spring up and exclaim to his partner,
"Hallo, Brooks!" passed through the intervening earth, losing much of
its power on the way, caused Refuge Islands to tremble, and Pauline to
look up suddenly with the exclamation--
"What's that Dom?"
"It is marvellously like an earthquake, Pina."
Strange to say, Brooks in Java made precisely the same remark, at about
the same moment, to his senior partner.
Thereafter old Mr Rigonda, who didn't like earthquakes, said to
Brooks--who didn't mind earthquakes, being used to them--
"I'll start off for England immediately."
He did start off, even more immediately than he had intended, for the
neighbouring volcano, as if angered by his remark, sent up a shock that
shook the surrounding houses to their foundations. The senior partner
rushed out in terror, and was just in time to receive a shower of mud
and ashes while he fled away through fire and smoke, as already
mentioned.
The volcano went to sleep again for a short time after that little
indication of its power, and you may be sure that old Rigonda did not
wait for its reawakening. One of his own ships was on the point of
sailing that very day. He went on board--after cleaning himself--got
Brooks to wind up their business relations in the cabin, and left for
England with a fair wind.
And well was it for the bald little old gentleman that he did so, for, a
few days later, strange sounds and appearances were in the air and on
the sea. Fine ashes filled the sky, so that noon became like midnight,
and everything betokened that something unusually violent must have
occurred in the land which they had left. Nothing more serious,
however, befell our voyager. In due course he reached England, hastened
home, and, without warning, burst in upon his wife while that dear
little old lady was in the act of remarking to the middle-aged cat, in a
very dolorous tone, that she feared something must have happened to the
ship, for her darlings could never have been so long of writing if all
had gone well.
It was while the cat gazed contemplatively at the everlasting socks, as
if meditating a reply, that old Rigonda burst in.
Starting up with amazing activity and a cry of joy, the old lady swept
her feline friend from the table--inadvertently, of course--and rushed
into her husband's arms, while the outraged animal sought refuge on top
of the bookcase, whence it glared at the happy meeting with feelings
that may be more easily understood than described. Of course the old
man's joy was turned into grief and anxiety when he heard of the
departure of his children and was told of their prolonged silence; but
with that we have nothing to do at present.
We return to Silver Bay, where a sense of insecurity had been aroused in
the community, ever since the tremors of the earth, to which we have
just referred.
With the slumbering of the Javanese mountains, however, these tremors
and the consequent fears subsided, and were almost forgotten in another
source of anxiety.
One morning, while Teddy Malone was walking on the beach of Silver Bay,
he observed a small object running and stumbling towards him, as if in
great haste or fear. Hurrying forward to meet this object he soon
perceived that it was little Brown-eyes, of whom he was very fond.
"What's wrong, me darlint?" he asked, catching the child up and kissing
her.
"Oh, such funny tings me sawd--oder side de rocks," replied Brown-eyes,
panting; "come wid me an' see dem. Come kik!"
"Funny things, eh, mavourneen, what sort of things?"
"Oh, like beasts. Come kik!"
"They wasn't sarpints, was they?" said Malone, seating the child on his
shoulder and hastening towards the rocky point which separated Silver
Bay from the land beyond.
"No, no--not saa'pints. Long beasts, like mans, only hims not stand and
walk, but lie down and crawl."
Much impressed with the child's eager manner, the Irishman hurried
towards the point of rocks, filled with curiosity as to what the
creatures could be.
"What sort o' hids have they, darlint?" he asked, as he neared the
point.
"Hids same as mans, and faces like you, but more uglier, all scratched
over, an' dey try to catch me, but me runned away."
Teddy Malone's hitherto obtuse faculties were awakened. He stopped
suddenly, being by that time convinced that he stood unarmed within
spear-throw of savages in ambush. To advance, supposing his conjecture
to be right, he knew would be certain death. To turn and fly would
probably be the same, for naked savages could easily overtake him even
if unburdened with Brown-eyes, whom, of course, he could not forsake,
and he was too far from the settlement to shout an alarm.
Perspiration burst from poor Teddy's brow, for even delay, he knew,
would be fatal, as the savages would suspect him of having discovered
them.
Suddenly he put Brown-eyes down on the sand, and, twisting his figure
into a comical position, began to hop like a frog. His device had the
desired effect; Brown-eyes burst into a hearty fit of laughter, forgot
for the moment the "funny beasts," and cried, "Do it agin!"
The poor man did it again, thinking intensely all the time what he
should do next.
"Would you like to see me dance, darlint?" he asked suddenly.
"Oh yis!"
Thereupon Teddy Malone began to dance an Irish jig to his own whistling,
although, being much agitated, he found it no easy matter to whistle in
tune or time, but that was unimportant. As he danced he took care to
back in a homeward direction. The child naturally followed. Thus, by
slow degrees, he got beyond what he considered spear-throw, and feeling
boldness return with security, he caught the child up and danced with
her on his shoulder. Then he set her down, and pretended to chase her.
He even went the length of chasing her a little way in the wrong
direction, in order to throw the savages more completely off their
guard. By degrees he got near to the settlement, and there was met by
Otto.
"You seem jolly to-day, Ted," said the boy.
"Whist, lad," returned the other, without intermitting his exercise.
"Look as if ye was admirin' me. There's lot of them tattooed monkeys--
savages--beyant the pint. They don't know I've found it out. Slink up
an' gather the boys, an' look alive. I'll amuse 'em here till you come
back. An' I say, don't forgit to bring me revolver an' cutlash."
"All right," was Otto's brief reply, as he sauntered slowly up towards
the bushes. No sooner was he screened by these, however, than he ran
like a hare to the palace.
"Halloo! Dom, Joe, Hugh--all of you--the savages again! Arm--quick!"
It needed no urging to hasten the movements of all who heard the boy's
voice. Ever since the first appearance of the savages Dominick and the
doctor had put all the men of the settlement under daily training in
drill for an hour or so, that they might be better able to act promptly
and in concert if occasion should again occur. The arms had been
collected, and such of them as were not in use stored in a handy
position, so that in two minutes an armed company was proceeding at a
run towards the spot on the shore where Malone was still performing his
antics, to the inexpressible delight of Brown-eyes.
"Where are the spalpeens?" asked the widow Lynch, who had followed the
men.
"Beyant the rocks, mother," answered Malone, as he received his weapons
from Otto and fell into his place in the ranks; "ye'd as well take the
child home, or she'll be sure to follow--she's nigh as wild as yerself."
The widow was indeed fond of seeing, as she used to say, "all the fun
that was goin'," but on this occasion she consented to carry Brown-eyes
out of danger while the settlers moved at a quick step towards the
point.
Behind that point of rocks a band of savages lay concealed, as Malone
had rightly conjectured. There were about forty of them, all armed with
clubs and spears, evidently bent on attacking the settlement. Of course
they meant to do it by surprise, and had concealed themselves among the
bushes behind the point, where they probably would have lain till
nightfall if Brown-eyes in her wanderings had not discovered them.
Their chief would have instantly caught and silenced the poor child, had
she not run so far clear of the point that he would infallibly have
revealed himself to Teddy Malone in doing so.
When that worthy drew near to the rocks, as described, the chief got
ready a spear for his reception. When Malone took to dancing, the chief
condescended to smile, or grin, hideously. When he retreated out of
range the chief consoled himself with the reflection that it was just as
well, night being the best time for attack. When, however, he beheld a
band of men moving towards him armed with the terrible things that
"spouted smoke, fire, and stones," a change came over the spirit of his
dream. After a hasty consultation with his comrades, he glided off in
the direction of their canoe. The rest followed, and when our settlers
at last turned the point, they saw the foe paddling at full speed across
the lagoon.
Firing a volley of disappointment after them, both in words and bullets,
they ran to their boats and gave chase, but, as on the former occasion,
the canoe proved too swift for the boats under oars, and the savages got
away.
The anxiety that naturally filled the breasts of Queen Pauline and her
councillors at this event was speedily forgotten in a recurrence of the
earthquake which had previously alarmed them so much.
It happened on a calm, bright morning, when the widow Lynch chanced to
be washing garments in the palace beside the queen. You see they had
not much regard for state-ceremonial or etiquette at the court of
Pauline the First even in public, much less in private, so that, while
the widow was deep in the washtub at one end of the hall, the queen was
busy at the other end patching Otto's garments.
At first there occurred a slight trembling of the earth, which the
widow, attributing to giddiness in her own cranium, recognised with a
remonstrative "Ohone!"
"Did you feel _that_?" exclaimed Pauline, pausing in her work and
looking up with a slight feeling of alarm.
"_What_, dearie?" demanded the widow, clearing the soap-suds from her
red roly-poly arms.
Before Pauline could answer, the earthquake took the liberty of reply by
giving an abrupt shake to the whole island, which not only set chairs
and tables rocking in an alarming manner, but drove the entire
population from their houses in consternation. Among other effects it
caused Mrs Lynch to stagger and catch hold of the washtub, which, far
from supporting her, let her fall to the ground, and fell on the top of
her.
To most of the settlers the sensation of a trembling earth was quite new
and exceedingly alarming. They stopped abruptly after the first rush,
and then looked about with pale faces, not knowing what to do. Malines,
however, was cool and collected. He had been in various volcanic
regions of the world, and undertook to comfort them.
"Don't be afraid," he said, when the most of the people had gathered
round him. "I've often seen this sort o' thing, on the coast o' South
America and among the Malay Islands. It passes away after a while, and
often without doin' much damage--though I _have_ seen a town shook
almost to pieces in about five minutes."
"And what did they do?" asked Jabez Jenkins.
"Och, whirri-hoo!" shouted Teddy Malone, for at that moment another
shock was felt, more violent than the preceding. The earth seemed
absolutely to roll, and one or two of the huts that had been carelessly
built, fell asunder in partial ruin.
"Where is my brother--and the doctor?" demanded Pauline, running up to
the group at the moment.
"They're away up the mountain, with Joe and Otto," answered little
Buxley; "I saw 'em start soon after daybreak--to explore, they said."
"What do you think should be done?" asked Pina, turning naturally to the
mate, as being the most intelligent of those around her.
"If it's goin' to be bad," said Malines, "I would advise you all to git
on board the ship as fast as ye can, for the land isn't so safe as the
water when it takes to quakin'."
"You seem to have had some experience of it. Is it going to be bad,
think you?"
"Earthquakes are deceptive--no man can tell."
"Well, then, we must do our best at once," said the queen, with an air
of calm decision worthy of her rank. "Go, Mr Malines, with your
sailors, and get all the boats ready. And you, my people, carry down
what you esteem most valuable and get on board the ship without loss of
time--for the rest, we are in the hands of a loving and merciful God."
While these events were enacting on the shore, Dominick, Otto, the
doctor, and Joe Binney were seated near the summit of the highest peak,
enjoying a cold breakfast. It was their first visit to that particular
peak, which had a slight hollow or basin of perhaps fifty feet diameter
in the centre.
Just before the first tremulous shock the doctor had been explaining to
the prime minister the nature of volcanoes, and stating his opinion that
the cup-like hollow before them was an extinct crater. The slight shock
stopped him in his discourse, and caused the party to look at each other
with serious faces.
"It's not extinct yet," exclaimed Otto excitedly, pointing to the
hollow, the earth of which had suddenly cracked in several places and
was emitting puffs of sulphurous smoke and steam.
They all started up.
"We'd better hasten home," said Dominick.
"Yes--they'll be terribly scared," said the doctor, hastily beginning to
pack up the remains of their breakfast.
But, before this could be done, the second convulsion took place.
Violent trembling occurred for a few seconds; then the ground in the old
crater burst open, and, with a terrible explosion, fire and smoke
belched forth, sending huge fragments of rock and showers of ashes into
the air, which latter fell around the explorers in all directions--
fortunately without doing them injury.
They waited no longer. Without even uttering a word they all turned and
ran down the hill at full speed. Being a considerable distance from the
settlement, it was upwards of an hour before they arrived. By that time
most of the women and children had been sent off to the ship. Pauline,
however, had remained on shore to direct and encourage the rest, as well
as to await the return of her brothers.
"Right--right--you couldn't have done better," said Dominick, when
Pauline hastily explained how she had acted.
"It was Mr Malines, not I, who suggested the plan," returned the queen.
"Hadn't you better go on board yourself?" said the doctor, "and leave us
to manage."
"No, I am not a mere puppet, sir," answered Pauline, with a little
smile, yet firmly. "My place is here till all my subjects are safe!
And your duty is to assist in the embarkation, not to offer advice to
your queen!"
With a laugh the doctor went off to do his duty, muttering, "My _queen_,
indeed!" fervently.
For some time the volcano, which had thus sprung into sudden activity,
partially subsided, yet there were occasional tremulous motions of the
earth and low growlings in the heart of the mountain on Big Island,
while several minor explosions occurred in the crater, so that the
thoroughly alarmed settlers hastened the embarkation with all despatch.
Before night had closed in they were all safely on board with most of
their lighter valuables and tools, though, necessarily, much of their
heavier property was left behind. Where life is threatened, however,
men are not apt to mind such losses.
It now became a question whether they should remain at anchor where they
were and abide the issue, or proceed at once to sea. Some were for
remaining, others were for putting off to sea. There was much wrangling
over it at first, and the people seemed in their anxiety to have quite
forgotten their queen, when she stepped forward, and, raising her clear
silvery voice, produced a dead calm at once.
"Joe," she said, "go down to the cabin and await me there."
The prime minister obeyed instantly.
"Now," said Pauline, turning to the people, "choose among you six of
your number to consult with me, and do it at once."
Of course, the men well-known as the best among the settlers were
instantly named we need scarcely add that among them were Dominick, the
doctor, and Malines.
While these were engaged in consultation below, a terrible outburst of
the volcano settled the matter for them, and brought them all hastily on
deck.
The summit of the crater seemed to have been blown up into the air with
a most terrific noise, while a dense mass of smoke, steam, and ashes was
hurled upwards, and seemed to blot out the sky. Twilight, which had
been deepening, was converted into blackest night in a moment, and
darkness profound would undoubtedly have continued, had it not been for
the lurid glare of the fires which flashed at intervals from the crater.
Suddenly the waters of the sea became agitated. The ship rocked
uneasily, and jerked at her cable, while the terrified people clung to
shrouds and ropes, and belaying-pins. Then the fire on the mountain-top
increased tenfold in volume and intensity. Another moment, and several
large holes opened in the mountain-side nearest to them, from which
streams of molten lava burst forth and began to descend towards the
deserted settlement.
At that moment there was a great shout. It had been discovered that in
the confusion little Brown-eyes had been forgotten!
A small boat hung at the davits on the port side. It was manned
instantly. The doctor jumped to the helm, Otto followed, and, before
any could interpose, the queen suddenly stepped in.
"You are mad!" cried the doctor.
"Lower away!" said Pina, as if she had been a trained sea-captain all
her life.
Instantly the ropes were eased off, and in a few seconds the boat was in
the sea and on the shore. They found little Brown-eyes sound asleep in
her crib, with a river of red-hot lava stretching its fiery tongues
towards her as if eager for a meal!
Supple-limbed Otto was first; he seized the child and bore her off to
the boat. Another terrible explosion occurred just then. Ashes and
masses of rock began to rain around them. A falling stone struck
Pauline's head, and she fell. The doctor, who held her hand, seized her
in his arms and bore her away. A few minutes more and they were all
safe on board again.
But there was no time for congratulations. The sea which had before
been agitated, now heaved in wild waves, though there was no wind. It
was then seen that Big Island was actually crumbling--sinking into the
water! The continuous rumbling of the volcano was terrible.
Intermittent explosions were frequent. To add to the horrors of the
scene the darkness deepened. As the island went down the sea rushed
tumultuously in to overwhelm it. Then it was that the stout cable,
under God, saved them from immediate destruction. The ship was hurled
from side to side like a cork on the boiling flood. But no cable could
long withstand such a strain. The chain snapped at last, and they
seemed to be rushing with railway speed to their fate amid surrounding
fire and overwhelming water, and roaring thunders, and raining ashes,
when, suddenly, there was a perceptible diminution in the turmoil, and,
gradually, the waves calmed down. With feelings of intense thankfulness
the terrified people let go their second anchor, though the darkness was
by that time so thick that they could barely see each other.
It may be imagined what a night of anxiety they spent. With Pauline and
some others it was a night of earnest prayer.
When the light of day at last broke faintly in the east it revealed the
fact that Refuge Islands had actually and totally disappeared, and that
our settlers were floating on the bosom of the open sea!