"The smoke! See? Close in sh.o.r.e, too! By heaven, Genevra--there"s a steamer off there. She"s a small one or she wouldn"t run in so close.
It--it may be the yacht! Wait! We"ll soon see. She"ll pa.s.s the point in a few minutes."
Scarcely breathing in their agitation, they kept the gla.s.ses levelled steadily, impatiently upon the distant point of land. The smoke grew thicker and nearer. Already the citizens of the town were rushing to the pier. Even before the vessel turned the point, the watchers at the chateau witnessed a most amazing performance on the dock. Half a hundred natives dropped down as if stricken, scattering themselves along the narrow pier. For many minutes Chase was puzzled, bewildered by this strange demonstration. Then, the explanation came to him like a flash.
The people were simulating death! They were posing as the victims of the plague that infested the land! Chase shuddered at this exhibition of diabolical cunning. Some of them were writhing as if in the death agony.
It was at once apparent that the effect of this manifestation would serve to drive away all visitors, appalled and terrified. As he was explaining the ruse to his mystified companion, the nose of the vessel came out from behind the tree-covered point.
An instant later, they were sending wild cries of joy through the chateau, and people were rushing toward them from all quarters.
The trim white thing that glided across the harbour, graceful as a bird, was the Marquess"s yacht!
It is needless to describe the joyous gale that swept the chateau into a maelstrom of emotions. Every one was shouting and talking and laughing at once; every one was calling out excitedly that no means should be spared in the effort to let the yacht know and appreciate the real situation.
"Can the yacht take all of us away?" was the anxious cry that went round and round.
They saw the tug put out to meet the small boat; they witnessed the same old manoeuvres; they sustained a chill of surprise and despair when the bright, white and blue boat from the yacht came to a stop at the command from the tug.
There was an hour of parleying. The beleaguered ones signalled with despairing energy; the flag, limp in the damp air above the chateau, shot up and down in pitiful eagerness.
But the small boat edged away from close proximity to the tug and the near-by dock. They spoke each other at long and ever-widening range. At last, the yacht"s boat turned and fled toward the trim white hull.
Almost before the startled, dazed people on the balcony could grasp the full and horrible truth, the yacht had lifted anchor and was slowly headed out to sea.
It was unbelievable!
With stupefied, incredulous eyes, they saw the vessel get quickly under way. She steamed from the pest-ridden harbour with scarcely so much as a glance behind. Then they shouted and screamed after her, almost maddened by this final, convincing proof of the consummate deviltry against which they were destined to struggle.
Chase looked grimly about him, into the questioning, stricken faces of his companions. He drew his hand across his moist forehead.
"Ladies and gentlemen," he said seriously and without the faintest intent to jest, "we are supposed to be dead!"
There was a single shriek from the bride of Thomas Saunders; no sound left the dry lips of the other watchers, who stood as if petrified and kept their eyes glued upon the disappearing yacht.
"They have left me here to die!" came from the stiffened lips of the Princess Genevra. "They have deserted me. G.o.d in heaven!"
"Look!" cried Chase, pointing to the dock. Half a dozen gla.s.ses were turned in that direction.
The dying and the dead were leaping about in the wildest exhibition of gleeful triumph!
The yacht slipped into the unreachable horizon, the feathery cloud from its stack lying over against the leaden sky, shaped like a finger that pointed mockingly the way to safety.
White-faced and despairing, the watchers turned away and dragged themselves into the splendid halls of the building they had now come to regard as their tomb. Their voices were hushed and tremulous; they were looking at the handwriting on the wall. They had not noticed it there before.
Saunders was bravely saying to his distracted wife, as he led her down the marble hall:
"Don"t give up the ship, dear. My word for it, we"ll live to see that garden out Hammersmith way. My word for it, dear."
"He"s trying so hard to be brave," said Genevra, oppressed by the knowledge that it was _her_ ship that had played them false. "And Agnes?
Look, Hollingsworth! She is herself again. Ah, these British women come up under the lash, don"t they?"
Lady Deppingham had thrown off her hopeless, despondent air; she was crying out words of cheer and encouragement to those about her. Her eyes were flashing, her head was erect and her voice was rich with inspiration.
"And you?" asked Chase, after a moment. "What of you? Your ship has come and gone and you are still here--with me. You almost wished for this."
"No. I almost wished that it would _not_ come. There is a distinction,"
she said bitterly. "It has come and it has disappointed all of us--not one alone."
"Do you remember what it was that Saunders said about having lived only a week, all told? The rest was nothing."
"Yes--but you have seen that Saunders still covets life in a garden at Hammersmith Bridge. I am no less human than Mr. Saunders."
All day long the islanders rejoiced. Their shouts could be plainly heard by the besieged; their rifles cracked sarcastic greetings from the forest; bullets whistled gay accompaniments to the ceaseless song: "Allah is great! Allah is good!"
No man in the despised house of Taswell Skaggs slept that night. The guard was doubled at all points open to attack. It was well that the precaution was taken, for the islanders, believing that the enemy"s force had been largely reduced by the polluted water, made a vicious a.s.sault on the lower gates. There was a fierce exchange of shots and the attackers drew away, amazed, stunned by the discovery that the beleaguered band was as strong and as determined as ever.
At two in the morning, Deppingham, Browne and Chase came up from the walls for coffee and an hour"s rest.
"Chase, if you don"t get your blooming cruiser here before long, we"ll be as little worth the saving as old man Skaggs, up there in his open-work grave," Deppingham was saying as he threw himself wearily into a chair in the breakfast room. They were wet and cold. They had heard Rasula"s minions shouting derisively all night long: "Where is the warship? Where is the warship?"
"It will come. I am positive," said Chase, insistent in spite of his dejection. They drank their coffee in silence. He knew that the others--including the native who served them--were regarding him with the pity that one extends to the vain-glorious braggart who goes down with flying colours.
He went out upon the west gallery and paced its windswept length for half an hour or more. Then, utterly f.a.gged, he threw himself into an unexposed chair and stared through tired eyes into the inscrutable night that hid the sea from view. The faithless, moaning, jeering sea!
When he aroused himself with a start, the grey, drizzly dawn was upon him. He had slept. His limbs were stiff and sore; his face was drenched by the fine rain that had searched him out with prankish glee.
The next instant he was on his feet, clutching the stone bal.u.s.trade with a grip of iron, his eyes starting from his head. A shout arose to his lips, but he lacked the power to give it voice. For many minutes he stood there, rooted to the spot, a song of thanksgiving surging in his heart.
He looked about him at last. He was alone in the gallery. A quaint smile grew in his face; his eyes were bright and full of triumph. After a full minute of preparation, he made his way toward the breakfast room, outwardly as calm as a May morning.
Browne and Deppingham were asleep in the chairs. He shook them vigorously. As they awoke and stared uncomprehendingly at the disturber of their dreams, he said, in the coolest, most matter-of-fact way:
"There"s an American cruiser outside the harbour. Get up!"
CHAPTER x.x.xIV
IN THE SAME GRAVE WITH SKAGGS
Down in the village of Aratat there were signs of a vast commotion.
Early risers and the guards were flying from house to house, shouting the news. The citizens piled from their couches and raced pell-mell into the streets, unbelieving, demoralised. With one accord they rushed to the water front--men, women and children. Consternation was succeeded by utter panic. Rasula"s wild shouts went unheeded. He screamed and fought to secure order among his people, but his efforts were as nought against the storm of terror that confronted him.
Outside the harbour lay the low, savage-looking ship. Its guns were pointed directly at the helpless town; its decks were swarming with white-clothed men; it was alive and it glowered with rage in its evil eyes.
The plague was forgotten! The strategy that had driven off the ships of peace was lost in the face of this ugly creature of war. No man grovelled on the dock with the convulsions of death; no man hearkened to the bitter, impotent words of the single wise man among them. Rasula"s reign of strategy was ended.
Howling like a madman, he tried to drive the company"s tug out to meet the sailors and urge them to keep away from the pest-ridden island. It was like pleading with a mountain avalanche.