CHAPTER XLIV.OUT OF THE ASHES.
Yes it was Gip. Great, strong and faithful Gip. The only surviving animal of all that vast number which had started on that fateful morning for the cliffs. His great strength had enabled him to overcome all dangers and obstacles thus far, and on his back he bore the few whom he had saved. And his almost human intelligence, coupled with his animal sagacity, had enabled him to direct his course straight for the villa, through the almost impenetrable atmosphere and fearful darkness.
Each moment the riders had expected to see him overcome by these obstacles, but he stumbled on, going down on his knees at times, when he would become too exhausted to move another step; but after resting for a moment, he would struggle to his feet again and make another effort. He was almost blind; he must be for he had been exposed for so many hours to this cyclone of ashes. But he could still see a little, or else he would not have stopped when he was about to crush out the little remaining life left in Enola. Or, was it that animal instinct that made him realize that he was about to tread on a human being? But the light from the volcano which now half lit up the weird scene, must have enabled him to see the prostrate zebra and Enola, for he had only stood for a moment, when he lowered his monstrous trunk and catching the zebra firmly about the neck, lifted him completely fromoff Enola and laid it at one side. Then he caught up Enola as tenderly as a mother would lift her babe, and raised her to his back, where Onrai, who seemed to be the only one who had retained consciousness, took her in his arms, and after patting the noble beast gently on the end of his trunk to make him understand that he appreciated this last noble deed of his, he settled back in the crowded howdah and also lost consciousness.
Gip stood for a moment longer and looked about him. Yes, he must have seen, for his head turned until it was in range with the light seen by Enola, and then he starts towards it. The light grew larger as he drew nearer to it, and he was finally stopped by the terrace of the villa. He had only hesitated for a moment, however, and then had mounted the few steps and crossed the terrace to the high arched doorway of the villa. Over this had been drawn a silk covering, to keep out, as much as possible, the ashes and dust. Gip did not stop for this, however, but pushed right through it. Two or three frightened attendants saw the great beast enter with its burden of unconscious human beings, and hurrying up to it they stood for a moment, while Gip kneeled for those whom he had so bravely rescued, to step from his back. He was weak and almost exhausted; his great body heaved with a short quick respiration, which the heated air and over-exertion had caused. His back was covered with a thick coating of the ashes, and those who were lying or sitting in the howdah were almost buried in this awful death-dealing substance.
But Gip could no longer keep the tiring position, and giving a last short pant, he fell over on his side.
Those in the howdah were thrown upon the hardstone flooring and laid there in a heap. The attendants now recognizing the King and his white companions, hastened to their assistance, and in a very short time they were laid upon couches and after the scorched garments had been removed from the bodies, they were deluged with cool water and oil. No part of their bodies had escaped the tortures of the hot ashes and steam, and they were almost raw. The limbs of the men who had been buried for some time in the bed of cinders, were horribly burned and blistered, and even Enola, who, having laid under the dead zebra for quite a while, had escaped with hardly less injury. Gently the attendants worked on the bleeding bodies, not knowing whether life had left them or not. It matters little, they thought, for it was but a question of a little while longer until all would be buried beneath the shower of death, which was slowly but surely burying them.
But their love for the King and their regard for his guests still dominated over all other feelings, and they worked hard and faithfully on the survivors. Enola was the first to recover consciousness, and when she had fully recovered, and she remembered the awful ride and that Mrs. Graham and Nellie had been her companions, she tried hard to make the attendants understand that she wanted to know something of her friends. But the poor, bewildered women could not comprehend her meaning and sadly shook their heads. But Enola did not despair, and kept at them, until, in their desire to help her, they sent for one of the men who managed to grasp her meaning, and going out made inquiries about her companions.
They had not returned with the others who hadbeen saved, and he now gave this information to Enola. She almost became frantic and made such pitiful signs for the attendant to go and search for her friends, that, notwithstanding his awful fear of the dust-laden atmosphere outside, which had killed so many of his companions, he went for Enola, promising to make a search for Mrs. Graham and Nellie. And he did. He persuaded two of his companions to accompany him, and with them he managed to reach the stables, where the only three remaining elephants had been left before the eruption. It took considerable time to persuade the beasts to leave their comfortable quarters and go into the darkness outside. But the darkness cleared in a short time, and the lurid light from the volcano made things as light as day. The shower of ashes ceased, and the atmosphere became comparatively clear, and the elephants strode forth into the deep covering of ashes.
The attendant had been able to get but little information from Enola, as to what direction they had come from when they turned their zebras back. She could give them positively no information and could not even make them understand that her zebra had wandered from the avenue, some distance, she thought from the villa; for she could not articulate a word, and the men were not accustomed to reading signs.
But the men started, each taking a different course from the front of the villa, hoping in this way to find the lost women. One of the attendants stumbled over the body of Enola’s zebra the first thing, but after examining this and learning that neither of the women were with it, he again took up the tramp and had gone but a little distance further, when his elephantstopped. The man looked about him but could see nothing. He tried to urge the elephant forward, but he would not move. He then slid from its back and was half buried in the soft ashes. But his foot had struck something which was soft and giving, and stooping down, just above the surface he saw a woman’s head. It was Mrs. Graham. He gently pushed the ashes away from her body, and speaking to the elephant, it kneeled, and the man, after much trouble, managed to crawl into the howdah with his lifeless burden. He continued a short distance further, when, not finding the body of Nellie, he returned to the villa.
Mrs. Graham was carried carefully into one of the apartments and given the same treatment as had been the others. It was only a few moments later when one of the other men brought in Nellie. He had found her in much the same position as had been found her mother, but nearly a mile distant from her. It was thought for a long time by those who were working on them, that they were surely dead, but after very hard rubbing and frequent applications of native restoratives, they began to show signs of life, and after a little they opened their eyes and looked about them. That these women had withstood the dreadful experiences of the past few hours, could scarcely be believed, but so they had, and had regained consciousness long before the men.
They too, though, had been brought back to life and their first inquiries had been of the women. The attendants had told them that the ladies were safe but had been somewhat overcome by the close atmosphere, and were slightly indisposed as a consequence. But Onrai knew that he had seen Enola and had assistedher in some way, but how he could not tell, for the whole fearful experience seemed, in some way, like a horrible nightmare. He could not yet fully realize that the events of the day had really occurred. They seemed too horrible to be real. He shuddered as he thought of the massacre of his men and later, the horrible slaughter of the negroes, and then the last occurrence, when the remainder of his men had perished. Then the fearful ride for life, the last hope, when the elephants gave out, and then the terrible fear that Gip would give out after he had once more renewed hope in them.
Then he saw Enola lying there nearly buried beneath the dead zebra; he had seen Gip raise her with his trunk, then he had clasped her in his arms; but all was a blank from here on, until he had wakened and found the attendants standing about him, and had felt himself bandaged from head to foot. Yes, it must be, the whole fearful story must be real; else why this terrible weakness and soreness and all these bandages. He was convinced at last, that it was no dream, but a terrible reality. But he marveled that he and his companions yet lived. The whole thing now passed before the mind’s eye and as he remembered the flying assagais and the formidable spear-pointed hatchets, and later, the death-dealing shower of ashes; when he thought of how men and beasts had dropped about him like sheep, he could but wonder that they, of all the others, should survive.
But that brought him to Gip, and he wondered what had become of the noble beast. He signed to his attendant that he wished to know of the elephant which had brought them back. The man left theapartment for a moment, and then returning, said that the elephant had borne them directly into the large hall of the villa, and had dropped dead a moment later. But this did not please Onrai, and he gave orders to see that the elephant had restoratives given him, and to be sure that he was dead before they gave him up. The man had taken several of his companions, and they had gone to work on the great beast. He was turned on his back with great difficulty, and buckets full of stimulants were poured down his throat. His head was deluged with water, and everything was done to restore the brave animal to which the survivors owed their lives. And their work was rewarded at last by the animal showing signs of life, and a little later, by his again turning on his side and attempting to rise. This he finally did, and staggering about for a while, he then laid down in one corner of the hall and was now resting quietly.
So all the survivors were doing as well as could be expected after the dreadful experiences through which they had passed. But what of the eruption?
Shortly after Gip had burst into the villa with his precious load, the shower had ceased, as if the volcano had known that now there were no more victims for it to destroy, and it was useless for it to further keep up the terrible strain which had shook the earth and covered a great part of the surrounding country with a layer of ashes. But the internal fires were still raging, for the great, lurid light flashed into the dark heavens above, and made all bright within the radius of several miles. There were no more shocks, and the violent eruption seemed to have spent its greatest force. From the cliff to a point some three miles beyondthe villa, in which lay our friends, the ground was covered with a layer of ashes well mixed with a sort of loam, which would probably make a fertile soil in time. Some large rocks of a lava formation lay here and there, having been hurled by the mighty internal fires to this distance.
The lava flow had ceased, too, as far as could be seen, for none of the red stream was now visible coming over the side of the cliff.
It had been very fortunate for the survivors that the flow of lava had confined itself to certain channels, for if it had taken the old course, which was shown plainly by the bad lands, there would be no hope of their escaping. It had run over the sides of the great crevice when our friends stood looking at it, and it, together with the falling ashes, had been fast filling the awful crevice. But would the great eruption end here? Truly it had done damage enough, but would the internal fires be satisfied with this temporary vent? It seemed hardly possible that they would, and if they did burst forth again, what would be the further outcome? But now it was quiet. The hot bed of steam and ashes were fast cooling into an almost solid mass, and there would be no more plunging and falling when walking over its surface, hereafter. It would be as the surface had been before, only a few feet higher.
A few days longer, and if the party had convalesced sufficiently to allow them to travel, they would start on their return to the city, for Onrai had said that all must be in the city on the Day of Resis. Then, after the ceremonies of the day, after its mysteries had been learned, on the evening of that day, Enola was to become the bride of the King.