Forewarned is, or ought to be, forearmed. Nevertheless, it must be
confessed that Dickson and the others greatly dreaded an attack by
savages under cover of the moonless darkness of a tropical night. All
was done that could be done to repel the fury of the onslaught. But
come it must and would.
Just as the sun was sinking behind the western mountains, amidst lurid
and threatening clouds, a happy thought occurred to one of the sailors.
"Sir," he said to Dickson, "the darkness will be our greatest foe, will
it not?"
"Certainly. If these demon cannibals would but show front in daylight
we could easily disperse them, as we did before. Have you any plans,
McGregor?"
"I'm only a humble sailor," said McGregor, "but my advice is this. We
can trust the honest blacks we have here within the fort?"
"Yes."
"Well, let them throw up a bit of sand cover for themselves down here on
the beach and by the sea. Each man should wear a bit of white cotton
around his arm, that we may be able to distinguish friend from foe. Do
you follow me, sir?"
"Good, McGregor. Go on."
"Well, captain, the cannibals are certain to make direct for the
barracks and attempt to scale as they did before. I will go in command
of our twenty black soldiers, and just as you pour in your withering
grape and rifle bullets we shall attack from the rear, or flank, rather,
and thus I do not doubt we shall once more beat them off."
"Good again, my lad; but remember we cannot aim in the darkness."
"That can be provided against. We have plenty of tarry wood here, and
we can cut down the still standing brush, and making two huge bonfires,
deluge the whole with kerosene when we hear the beggars coming and near
at hand. Thus shall you have light to fight."
"McGregor, my lad, I think you have saved the fort and our lives. Get
ready your men and proceed to duty. Or, stay. While they still are at
their terrible feast and dancing round the fires, you may remain
inside."
"Thanks, sir, thanks."
The men had supper at eleven o'clock and a modicum of rum each. The
British sailor needs no Dutch courage on the day of battle.
The distant fires burnt on till midnight. Then, by means of his
night-glass, Dickson could see the tall chieftain was mustering his men
for the charge.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Half an hour later they came on with fiendish shouts and howling. Then
brave McGregor and his men left the barracks and hid in the darkling to
the left and low down on the sands.
The enemy advanced from the right. Their chief was evidently a poor
soldier, or he would have caused them to steal as silently as panthers
upon the fort. When within a hundred yards, Dickson at one side and
Reginald at the other, each accompanied by a man carrying a keg of
kerosene, issued forth at the back door.
In three minutes more the flames sprang up as if by magic. They leaped
in great white tongues of fire up the rock sides, from which the rays
were reflected, so that all round the camp was as bright as day.
The astonished savages, however, came on like a whirlwind, till within
twenty yards of the brae on which stood the fort. Then Mr Hall, the
brave and imperturbable Yankee, "gave them fits," as he termed it. He
trained a gun on them and fired it point-blank. The yells and awful
howlings of rage and pain told how well the grape had done its deadly
work, and that many had fallen never to rise again.
The tall, skin-clad chief now waved his spear aloft, and shouted to his
men, pointing at the fort. That dark cloud was a mass of frenzied
savages now. They leaped quickly over their dead and wounded, and
rushed for the hill. But they were an easy mark, and once again both
guns riddled their ranks. They would not be denied even yet.
But lo! while still but half-way up the hill, to their astonishment and
general demoralisation, they were attacked by a terrible rifle fire from
the flank. Again and again those rifles cracked, and at so close a
range that the attacking party fell dead in twos and threes.
But not until two more shots were fired from the fort, not until the
giant chief was seen to throw up his arms and fall dead in his tracks,
did they hurriedly rush back helter-skelter, and seek safety in flight.
The black riflemen had no mercy on their brother-islanders. Their blood
was up. So was McGregor's, and they pursued the enemy, pouring in
volley after volley until the darkness swallowed them up.
The slaughter had been immense. The camp was molested no more. But at
daybreak it was observed that no cloud hung any longer on the volcanic
peak. The savages were still grouped in hundreds around their now
relighted fires, and it was evident a new feast was in preparation.
But something still more strange now happened. Accompanied by two
gigantic spear-armed men of the guard, the Queen herself was seen to
issue from the glen, and boldly approach the rebels. What she said may
never be known. But, while her guard stood like two statues, she was
seen to be haranguing the cannibals, sometimes striking her sceptre-pole
against the hard white sand, sometimes pointing with it towards the
volcanic mountain.
But see! another chief approaches her, and is apparently defying her.
Next moment there is a little puff of white smoke, and the man falls,
shot through the head.
And now the brave and romantic Queen nods to her guards, and with their
spears far and near the fires are dispersed and put out.
This was all very interesting, as well as wonderful, to the onlookers at
the fort, but when the Queen was seen approaching the little garrison, a
little white flag waving from her pole, and followed by all the natives,
astonishment was at its height.
Humbly enough they approached now, for the Queen in their eyes was a
goddess. With a wave of her sceptre she stopped them under the brae, or
hill, and Dickson and Reginald hurried down to meet her floral majesty.
"Had I only known sooner," she said sympathisingly, "that my people had
rebelled and attempted to murder you, I should have been here long, long
before now. These, however, are but the black sheep of my island, and
now at my command they have come to sue for pardon."
"And they will lay down their arms?"
"Yes, every spear and bow and crease."
"Then," said Dickson, "let them go in single file and heap them on the
still smouldering fire up yonder."
Queen Bertha said something to them in their own language, and she was
instantly obeyed. The fire so strangely replenished took heart and
blazed up once more, and soon the arms were reduced to ashes, and the
very knives bent or melted with the fierce heat.
"Go home now to your wives and children," she cried imperiously. "For a
time you shall remain in disgrace. But if you behave well I will gladly
receive you once more into my favour. Disperse! Be off!"
All now quietly dispersed, thankfully enough, too, for they had expected
decapitation. But ten were retained to dig deep graves near the sea and
bury the dead. There were no wounded. This done, peace was restored
once more on the Island of Flowers.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Three weeks of incessant rain followed. It fell in torrents, and the
river itself overflowed its banks, the fords being no longer of any use,
so that the men were confined to their barracks.
It was a long and a dreary time. Very much indeed Reginald would have
liked to visit the palace, to romp with little Matty, and listen to the
music of Ilda's sweet voice.
"As for Annie--she must have given me up for dead long ere now," he said
to himself. "Why, it is two years and nine months since I left home.
Yes, something tells me that Annie is married, and married to--to--my
old rival the Laird. Do I love Ilda? I dare not ask myself the
question. Bar Annie herself, with sweet, baby, innocent face, I have
never known a girl that so endeared herself to me as Ilda has done.
And--well, yes, why deny it?--I long to see her."
One day the rain ceased, and the sun shone out bright and clear once
more. The torrents from the mountains were dried up, and the river
rapidly went down. This was an island of surprises, and when, three
days after this, Reginald, accompanied by Hall and Dickson, went over
the mountains, they marvelled to find that the incessant downpour of
rain had entirely washed the ashes from the valley, and that it was once
more smiling green with bud and bourgeon. In a week's time the flowers
would burst forth in all their glory.
The ford was now easily negotiable, and soon they were at the Queen's
palace. Need I say that they received a hearty welcome from her Majesty
and Ilda? Nor did it take Matty a minute to ensconce herself on
Reginald's knee.
"Oh," she whispered, "I'se so glad you's come back again! Me and Ilda
cried ourselves to sleep every, every night, 'cause we think the bad
black men kill you."
Ilda crying for him! Probably praying for him! The thought gave him
joy. Then, indeed, she loved him. No wonder that he once again asked
himself how it would all end.
The weather now grew charming. Even the hills grew green again, for the
ashes and _debris_ from the fire-hill, as the natives called it, had
fertilised the ground. And now, accompanied by Ilda and Matty, who
would not be left behind, an expedition started for the valley of gold.
The road would be rough, and so a hammock had been sent for from the
camp, and two sturdy natives attached it to a long bamboo pole. Matty,
laughing with delight, was thus borne along, and she averred that it was
just like flying.
Alas! the earthquake had been very destructive in Golden Gulch. Our
heroes hardly knew it. Indeed, it was a glen no longer, but filled
entirely up with fallen rocks, lava, and scoria.
They sighed, and commenced the return journey. But first a visit must
be paid to Lone Tree Mountain. For Reginald's heart lay there.
"From that elevation," said Reginald, "we shall be able to see the
beautiful ocean far and near."
The tree at last! It was with joy indeed they beheld it. Though
damaged by the falling scoria, it was once more green; but the grave in
which the gold and pearls lay was covered three feet deep in lava and
small stones. The treasure, then, was safe!
They were about to return, when Ilda suddenly grasped Reginald's arm
convulsively.
"Look! look!" she cried, pointing seawards. "The ship! the ship! We
are saved! We are saved!"