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The Expedition of Captain Flick: A Story of Adventure

Chapter XXV. Trouble

Chapter XXV. Trouble.

“Love brings double
Joy to those who feel his power:
Love gives trouble,
Ever for a marriage dower:
Love's a bubble,
Breaking in the lover's bower;
Fire in stubble,
Burning fiercer hour by hour.”

For the rest of the week there was no trouble in connection with my attempt to rescue Bertha. It is true that Basilea became suspicious, and refused to let me visit the temple. I was thus reduced to corresponding with Bertha by letter, and Harry acted as postman to convey the epistles. Daily the high priestess fell deeper in love with Harry, and his very indifference seemed to add fuel to the flame. She insisted upon instructing him in the lore of the temple; and Harry rewarded himself for the dull hours he passed with his elderly admirer, by conversing for a few minutes with Myrtea, who was always in attendance on Bertha. I was not at all surprised when one day he confessed that he loved page 282 the girl, although I feigned to disbelieve in the depth of his affection.

“‘Little pot, soon hot,”’ quoth I, when he made the confession, “You have only known the girl two weeks, so I fail to see how your love can have grown so suddenly.”

“It is Jonah's gourd, Denis.”

“A bad simile, Hal. That withered in a single night.”

“My love for Myrtea will last for ever,” cried Harry fondly. “I was never in love before, but now I candidly admit that I have lost my heart to this girl. When we return to England, you will have Bertha, Flick the statue, and I—I shall have Myrtea.”

“Do you intend to marry her?” I asked, rather startled.

“Of course I do. Why else should I take her to England. You can have nothing to say against such a marriage.”

“H'm! I hardly know if Myrtea is fit for a civilized life.”

“Yes, she is. I am teaching her English, and she is willing to leave Isk with me.”

“Already!” said I, doubtfully; “she must be easily influenced.”

“Don't I tell you we love one another?” said Harry, page 283 impatiently. “Love isn't a matter of custom, is it? If a man and a woman meet in that way, they either love one another or they do not. I met Myrtea, and she fell in love with me, and I with her. I am no fool, Denis. I know what I want, and it is my intention to marry this girl. Why shouldn't I? What have you to say against the match?”

“I? Nothing! It is a matter for your own consideration. But Bertha—”

“Bertha is very fond of Myrtea; she—she loves her.”

“Oh!” said I dryly; “does she love her well enough to wish her for a sister-in-law?”

“I am sure she does.”

“In that case there is no more to be said,” I answered. “But a word of warning, Harry. Take care Basilea gains no hint of this passion of yours, or you may forward Flick's plans in spite of yourself.”

“As to that, I don't care,” he replied, determinedly. “Flick asked me to treat the girl unworthily—to gain her affections so that I might waken the jealousy of Basilea. This is different. I love Myrtea, and she loves me; so there is no deception or fraud about the matter. Should Basilea discover the truth, I do not mind. It is a matter of perfect indifference to me.”

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“It may not be to Myrtea!”

“Oh, her life will be safe,” replied Harry, coolly; “not even Basilea can lay a finger on her to work harm. In spite of her cleverness and supremacy, that old woman is bound by certain laws, which even she dare not break, at the risk of death. If she does discover anything, she may order me out of the temple, and imprison Myrtea; but in that case, you, I, and Flick will storm the temple with the ship's company, and rescue both Bertha and Myrtea. Then we can steam through the chasm after blowing up the gates, and so homeward.”

“What about the statue?”

“Flick must take his chance of that. If we can get it on board, well and good; if not, and the two girls are with us-why, we must escape as we can without it.”

“You are set on carrying off Myrtea, Harry?”

“I am; and she is willing to come. I owe one good turn to Flick's expedition; it has gained me a charming wife.”

The conversation dropped after that, and Harry left the yacht to pay his daily visit to Basilea, and afterwards to Bertha and Myrtea. I was lounging on the deck, in the hot sunshine, smoking an afterluncheon cigarette, and watching the grim black figures of the negroes moving through the grim black page 285 town. The city suited the race; it was as dark, as dismal, and as cruel-looking as its inhabitants, and I hoped prayerfully that the end of the seven days would see the Carmen moving through the chasm, and standing out to sea, with the two girls on board. I was anxious that Harry should be happy, and I was longing to clasp Bertha once more in my arms; but I must admit that I had small sympathy with Flick's project for stealing the statue of Venus.

From a strictly honourable point of view, we were in the wrong. What right had Flick, or any one else, to thieve away a statue that had been in the possession of these islanders for close on two thousand years? Surely their ownership was sanctified by time; and, moreover, as they firmly believed that the volcano would sink the island were the statue to disappear, it seemed cruel to rob them of their palladium, and add to their terror of the burning mountain. I did not like the negroes, who were a dismal and, I believe, a cruel race; all the same, it was none of our business to spoil their religion, and take from them the visible symbol of their worship. The more I thought of this, the more unwarrantable it seemed, and I wished sincerely that Harry had never agreed to lend the Carmen for that freebooting excursion. However, it was too late to page 286 alter matters; and the task having been begun, we had to go through with it.

On the highest terrace of the temple, I could see the line of negroes guarding the fane, their spear-points glittering in the strong sunlight. As I was gazing, the splash of oars fell on my ear; and I glanced over my shoulder to see a boat pulling from the chasm, and steering for the yacht with Flick on board. He had been absent the whole morning, examining the iron gates, and laying his mine. On the previous day Jenner and the electrical engineer had been attending to the work, and Captain Flick had been to see how it had been executed. He waved his cap as the boat swung alongside, and was soon on deck, blowing like a grampus from his late exertions.

“Here I am, Sir Denis,” said he, “as hungry as a hunter. Luncheon over?”

“Yes. Harry wanted to get away to the temple, so he and I had luncheon early. Your meal is waiting for you.”

We went below, and I smoked on the divan while Flick cut himself some cold meat, and prepared to gratify his very healthy appetite. I asked him how he had got on at the gulch.

“Oh, it's in first-rate trim,” he replied. “The mine is ready, and I have the wires laid on to the page 287 inner mouth of the chasm. All we have to do is to send a boat there and explode the mine. I guess there won't be much of those gates left when that's done.”

“I'm afraid the explosion will make the negroes suspicious, Flick.”

“Well, I don't know. They are ignorant of dynamite, so it is more than likely that they will put down the burst—up to some submarine disturbance. They put all untoward things down to the volcano, you know.”

“I suppose it will be all right,” I answered, leisurely filling my pipe; “and even if it isn't there won't be much trouble, as the yacht will be through the chasm before the niggers recover their presence of mind. They'll never catch us with those canoes of theirs.”

“I hope we shall be able to carry out our plans in the pool,” said Flick, after a pause. “I'd rather do that than fight our way across the isle, with your sweetheart and the statue.”

“And Myrtea,” I added.

“Myrtea! What has she got to do with it?” demanded Flick in astonishment.

“Well, it seems that she and Harry have fallen in love with one another, and she has agreed to fly with him when the boat leaves Isk.”

“Humph! I thought as much; and I can't say that I'm sorry. She's a pretty lass; and, moreover, page 288 this behaviour of Harry's will rouse the old woman's jealousy, and enable me to carry out my plan.”

“So I told Harry. He is doing exactly what you proposed.”

“Of course! I thought it would come to that,” replied Flick, with a wink. “He's taken his own way about it, but it is just as efficacious as though he had fallen in with our wishes.”

“I hope it will bring your plans to a head, Flick. You have only three days left, in which to carry them out.”

“And after that I have to leave the pool,” said the captain, nodding. “Well, I don't know; like Columbus, I may get the crew to extend the time. That mountain is quiet enough, anyhow.”

“I mistrust that mountain intensely. The confounded thing may blow up when we least expect it.”

“Quite so,” replied Flick, coolly. “I asked Hesperus about it the other day. He said that the temple records say it was extinct for many hundreds of years. The last eruption took place shortly after the statue of the goddess was brought to Isk -when, I suppose, that island lake was drained. The next convulsion may bring back the waters.”

“How long has the mountain been active?”

“About twenty years or so. Nothing very terrible! only earthquakes, and jets of fire from the crater. page 289 But I've no doubt it is getting ready for a big explosion.”

“Is it?” said I, with a shudder. “Then I hope we'll be out of the pool before that takes place. I have no wish to figure in a second version of ‘The Last Days of Pompeii.”’

Roaring Tom laughed at this speech, and led the way on deck. I followed, and we made ourselves comfortable before resuming our conversation. With the exception of Harry, all the ship's company were on board, and, as the sequel proved, it was just as well that such was the case. The day was tremendously hot, and in that black hollow we simply steamed in the muggy heat. Not a breath of air stirred the trees on the mountain or the breast of the waters, and the jagged black cliffs stood up hard and grim against the soft blue sky. A heavy cloud of vapour veiled the peak of the mountain, and there was a sense of oppression in the atmosphere which made it difficult to breathe. I did not like the look of things at all.

“I wish we were well out of this, Flick,” I said uneasily. “Seems to me as though Nature was making ready for trouble.”

“Let us hope she'll keep things straight for the next few days; by that time I hope the old woman will fix up matters.”

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“She may fix them up to our disadvantage. There may be bloodshed.”

“I don't care if there is,” returned Flick, doggedly. “We have arms, and a cannon; we can defend ourselves, I suppose.”

“I hope there will be no occasion to do so. Still, if Basilea grows jealous, as you wish her to become, she may let slip the dogs of war.”

Flick shrugged his shoulders and turned the conversation. “What is the last news from the future Lady Evants?” he demanded.

“Much the same as usual. She is kindly treated. She is progressing in the language of the isle, which Myrtea is teaching her; and she is anxious to be delivered from so disagreeable a position.”

“Has the king seen her again?”

“No. Nor will he see her until the marriage takes place. So I am afraid he will never set eyes on her in that case,” I finished, dryly.

With an amused laugh the captain resumed his pipe. Hardly had he done so, when in the distance we heard the whip-like crack of a revolver. Starting to his feet, Flick looked inquiringly at me, while I mechanically turned my face towards the temple. There, on the high terrace, I saw the black line of negroes waver and break up into distinct groups. Another and clearer shot echoed through the still page 291 air; then rose the shrieking of women, and the hoarse shouts of infuriated men. A gong bellowed from the depths of the fane.

“Harry is in trouble!” I cried, jumping up in great excitement.

“Here, lower away that boat!” roared Flick, fingering his Colt; “we must get ashore. Stand by, men. Soho!”

“Here's Hal, captain, and the niggers at his heels.”

Even as I spoke the boat touched water. Flick and eight men dropped overside in a trice, and in less than two minutes the ash sweeps flashed regularly as the boat spun towards the quay. Revolver in hand, Harry was bounding at racing speed down the staircase, a crowd of negroes after him. The gong still thundered, and the townspeople crowding on the quay added their hoarse cries to those of the pursuers. As Harry dipped into the belt of foliage fringing the staircase, I heard his weapon crack twice, and a guttural cry of pain followed. Immediately afterwards he burst out of the wood, raced through the crowd, disparting them right and left with the menace of his mien and revolver. On the verge of the quay a man tried to stop him, but stumbled and fell, together with Harry, into the water. The next moment my friend was striking out for the yacht under a rain of spears. Flick shouted, Harry turned, and in a few minutes he was safe on board the boat.