Fifteen Hundred Miles an Hour

by Charles Dixon

  CHAPTER XIII.

  THE CRAG REMAGALOTH.

  The sun was slowly setting, blazing in a hundred hues through themany-coloured windows, and filling the great Hall with a mellow glory,as we were conducted back to our chamber, surrounded by an escort oftwenty troopers. Kaosp led the way; we could see that his heart washeavy, and that he sympathised with us in our great trouble. We wereweak and faint from want of food. The reaction had come after theexcitement of the day, and not one of us spoke to the other as wewalked along with drooping heads and faltering steps. It was a greatrelief to escape from the noisy multitude and find quietness in our ownchamber, where, left alone in our sorrow, and as dying men, we couldrest and be in peace. There seemed no mercy whatever for us; not theremotest chance of escape from the horrid doom to which we had beencondemned. Suicide, it is true, was left, as our revolvers were stillhidden in our pockets; for it was a remarkable fact that no one hadshown any desire to search us since we had been made prisoners, and wewere still unwatched. And yet each one in secret still hoped to escapeeven now, though he dared not to breathe his thoughts to the rest.Had we not three days! What could we not do in them? Oh! hope, whendoes man really abandon thee? Only with life. Not even the rejectedlover, the ruined gambler, or the man who faces certain death--to thelast we all of us cling tightly to thee, Pandora's priceless gift totrouble-burdened Man!

  Food was brought to us almost immediately; and we were glad to see thatKaosp continued at his post, as commander of the guard.

  "Be ye of stout heart, O men of Ramos. Be not so cast down atmisfortune! Death is the portion of us all; and mark ye, the King mayyet relent his anger, if he doth but see Perodii's perfidy before threemore suns have set," said Kaosp cheerfully, as he shook us by the handand went his way.

  "I am afraid, Doctor, you must feel very bitterly against me," saidGraham, as we sadly ate our meal. "Both you and Temple must blame mefor all this misfortune. I have no regrets for myself, but it is soregrief indeed to see you fall with me."

  "Regrets are useless now, Graham," said Temple. "Besides, I did all Icould to further your suit with Volin?, for I believed it wise to doso; I do not blame or reproach you. But we must escape! When, or how, Iknow not; but, Graham, we must escape."

  "Ah! all very well to say that, Mr. Temple, but we are too wellguarded, and too closely watched. We had best sleep on the matter now,and consult together in the morning, when we are more refreshed."

  "Graham," said the Doctor, who from the moment the King had pronouncedour doom had not spoken, "Graham, if we, by any remote possibility,escape from this peril, take my advice on one thing--leave the womenalone for the future. I am older than you, have had more experience,and have invariably found that they are the root of all mischief."

  Graham answered not a word, but a vision of Volin?, in all her splendidbeauty, rose up before him as the Doctor spoke. He saw her as shenestled in his arms, bashfully confessing her love for him in thatgarden of Siccoth, and in his heart he vowed that nothing but strongDeath itself should tear them asunder.

  The hour was now late, and we sought to drown our sorrow in slumber.Sandy had already gone to rest, and lay asleep with Rover for hispillow. The nearness of death did not seem to trouble him, for wehad explained to him the King's last words of doom. Perhaps our manyescapes from great peril had made him careless of danger, and inspiredhim with the confidence of being able to evade his enemies. Strangeto say that now we knew our fate we were more inclined to rest, andspeedily we sank into a deep slumber.

  * * * * *

  "Thou sleepest heavily, O man of Ramos, even with Death beside thee,"whispered Kaosp, as he shook Graham roughly in his efforts to awakenhim.

  "Why, Kaosp, where----what seek you?" said Graham, starting up confusedfrom sleep.

  "Hush! Let silence keep thy tongue. Thy comrades sleep. Put on thygarments and follow me. Volin? would see thee!"

  "Volin?! Volin?? She here? Good Kaosp, conduct me to her quickly! Howcan I repay or thank you for such a boon as this?"

  "By holding thy peace! I hazard honour and face death to serve thee.Haste thee! Spend not thy precious fleeting moments in catechising me;for she whom thou lovest awaits thee, and thy time is short. In but anhour from now the guard is changed, and thou must be back again!"

  "I dressed in silent haste, and followed Kaosp through the larger roomout into the corridor. The worthy soldier had managed well; for not aguard was there; and we crept along until I felt his hand tighten on myarm, and heard him whisper:

  "'Tarry thee one moment, for I would assure myself that all is safe.Should'st unfriendly eyes see us here, my life would be the cost.'

  "He listened intently for a moment, but all was still. Then, by somemeans unknown to me, he slid back a panel in the side of the corridor,and a puff of cold, damp air rushed into our faces. A dark, yawninggulf was before me, and I drew back with an involuntary shudder; butKaosp bid me enter.

  "'Haste thee down these steps,' said he; 'they will take thee to apassage, which follow until thou reachest the garden of Siccoth-trees;and there Volin? awaits thee. I will meet thee here when thoureturnest. But heed thee well the fleeting time.'

  "In another moment Kaosp had closed the panel, and I was groping my waydown the steps in perfect darkness. Thirty-four deep steps I counted,and then I came to a passage with a smooth floor, which I walked alongwith caution, feeling the walls on either side as I went. For fiftypaces I walked thus, the damp, poisonous air well-nigh choking me; andthen I could hear the playing of the fountains, and directly afterwardsI beheld the bright stars shimmering before me.

  "I waited and listened for a few seconds, before venturing from thepassage out into the open garden; but, with the exception of thesplashing fountains, all was silent as death. Then I walked stealthilyonwards, with eyes striving to penetrate the gloom, now on this side,now on that, and seeking to discover her whom I loved. Presently, I sawher coming towards me with fleeting steps, down a broad pathway betweenthe shrubs. I ran to meet her, and in another moment we were clasped ineach other's arms.

  "'Harry!'

  "'Volin?!'

  "And so we met again; and as we uttered each other's name, in ourreunion joy, I rained kiss after kiss upon her soft cheeks and willinglips; and the hot, scalding tears of grief, that trickled down herwhite, sorrow-stricken face, ploughed, as with molten fire, across myown. Oh, the joy and yet the agony of that midnight tryst! We had met,yet only to say good-bye. I and my darling were to love no more inlife, for in three fleeting days I must die. Then a great mad thoughtcame unto me; and I planned, in a moment of time, that Volin? and Iwould flee--that I would take her with me to some far distant place,where we could live and love without fear.

  "'Darling, we meet once more, but our lives are cloaked with sorrow.You know my fate. It is your royal father's will that I and my comradesdie at sunset, three days hence. Death is dreadful to me since the hourI saw and loved you. I, who have met this grim majestic thing calledDeath in a hundred shapes without fear, do now see it approach withcraven nerveless terror, for it comes to part me from you. Dear one,this shall not be. Let us haste away together to-night, let us fly fromEdos now!'

  "'Harry, thou sayest that which is impossible, which cannot be,' shesobbed. 'Knowest thou not that every way from Siccoth is guarded well;nay, doubly guarded since I prevailed upon the King, my father, to letthee and thy companions wander therein.'

  "'Volin?, your words ring like knells of death and cold despair acrossmy heart.'

  "'Nay, then, give not such freedom to despair. Thou knowest I lovethee; but thou must not show a woman's weakness, or, methinks, I shoulddespise thee. Brave men know not fear, and dangers flee affrightedfrom advancing courage,' she answered, woman-like, striving to excitea confidence and daring she by no means felt, although cunninglyconcealing her fears.

  '"Your words, dear one, have robbed all sting from death, and make melook fearlessly upon my doom.'

  "'Harry, dear, thou shalt not meet i
t. The ring I gave thee shalldeliver thee from death. How or where, I know not; but Echri's ringshall save thee!'

  "'Truth in its virtues grows stronger and stronger within my heart.But, darling, the moments are speeding on, and we have much tosay. Pray, tell me now of this braggart Perodii. He called you hisaffianced! He has dared to use your name as a synonym for shame, beforea hundred thousand citizens of Edos, and his lying words found favourwith your father.'

  "'Thou speakest truly, yet heed him not. My father now knows that Iwould rather die than mate with him, prince and noble though he be.I have braved my father's wrath, and I laughed to scorn Perodii'scowardly blow at my honour, because I love thee! Perodii's arms havenever held me thus; his lips have never met my own. When he calleth mehis, he lieth; Harry, mark thee well my words--he lieth!'

  "'My precious one,' I whispered, 'your words are as strong wine untome! Tell me also what your father says concerning us, and of ourdiscovery by Perodii, near the arbour.'

  "'His wrath,' she continued, 'was terrible to witness, and I quailedbefore his bitter words! I told him but the truth, that thou hadstfound favour with me. But, Harry, that ring of Echri's shall save thee,although my father and his soldiers dare to defy its sacred charms. Solong as that ring shall circle round thy finger, death may not strikethee in violence, therefore guard it well for my sake as well as thine!'

  "'As life itself, for ever and for ever,' I whispered in her ear.'But, dear one, it seems that I have only brought pain and trouble onyou, even caused your precious name to be shrouded in dishonour amongthe public throng--estranged your father from you. Now, after all yousacrifice for me, our happiness is turning but to wormwood and to gall.'

  "'And hadst it not been for me, thy comrades and thyself would nowbe free; for Kaosp tells me the King was in a pardoning humour untilPerodii spoke. But the sands of the hour are nearly run, and it is timefor thee to go. We must not imperil Kaosp by tarrying here. He riskethmuch for us.'

  "As Volin? spoke, what this our parting really meant, burst upon me inall its awful nakedness, and a great sigh of agony escaped unbiddenfrom my heart. The hour had sped, and we must part. In all humanprobability, we were to see each other no more! No more! I claspedher yet more tightly to me, and felt her lovely form trembling likea frightened bird's in my embrace. Her bosom heaved in sorrow, as Itenderly kissed her tears away, and smoothed her yellow tresses, which,like a web of spun gold, hung loose and careless over my arm. For a fewbrief moments thus together in silence, and then, as I kissed her oncemore, she broke gently from my embrace, and in sorrow walked slowlyaway, turning round as she did so, and sobbing said:

  "'Keep a stout heart, dear Harry. My prayers are said for thee;for I am all thine own. Remember Echri's ring, and fare thee well.Beloved--fare--thee--well!'

  "She was gone! and I, with arms stretched out in entreaty towards her,stood desolate and alone in my sore despair! For several moments Istood as though turned to stone, calling her name in the empty garden,and repeating aloud those touching words of Byron's:

  "'Fare thee well, and if for ever, Still for ever, fare thee well!'

  But only the stars and the trees and the fountains heard me--she whomI addressed, was gone! Like some fair meteor she had rushed across mypath, dazzled and attracted me during her fleeting stay beyond allpower of resistance, and then as suddenly vanished from me, and left mein a chaos of misery and sorrow!

  "'May God in His mercy to me blot out from my memory the agony of thisparting in the garden of Siccoth; for I can never know happiness againso long as its terrors haunt me,' I prayed aloud in my woe, with faceturned upwards to the starlit sky.

  "How I got back to the archway, and crept along the passage and up thesteps to the sliding panel, I know not, for I went my way as one in awalking sleep, with all strength sapped from my trembling frame.

  "Kaosp was awaiting my return in great anxiety, for the hour wasalready gone, and every moment he dreaded to hear the tramp of theguard coming to relieve him and his men.

  "'Keep silent, and follow me with haste,' he whispered, 'or too lateI shall repent me of lending willing ears to a woman's supplications.By great good fortune the guard is late, or this night's work would beknown to my ruin!'

  "'I am really sorry, Kaosp, that I have rewarded your good nature byjeopardizing your safety and your honour--but the hour has seemed soshort!'

  "'Ah! 'tis always so. Lovers heed not time. But the hour with me hathseemed an age.'

  "We walked stealthily back again, not meeting a living soul; and Icrept to my couch without waking one of my comrades. They all slept onin ignorance, and I resolved to keep my own counsel. The episode wastoo sacred and too painful to take anyone into my confidence; besides,no purpose would be gained, and I had nought to tell that would be ofservice in our dire necessity. Kaosp shook me by the hand before hedeparted, and a few minutes afterwards, as I lay awake in my misery,thinking of all that had taken place within the past hour, I heard thenew guard arrive and station themselves in the corridor beside theouter door!"

  It is unnecessary, for the purposes of this narrative, to record ourdoings during the three days of grace that were allowed us. We neithersaw or heard anything of the King, Volin?, or Perodii. We were entirelyshut off from all outside affairs, and we knew nothing of what wasbeing done either in the palace or among the people of Edos. We weretreated precisely the same as before our trial, with the exception ofbeing allowed to walk in the garden of Siccoth. That privilege wasdenied, and we were kept close prisoners to our rooms.

  Two things occurred, however, which call for special notice. The firstwas the withdrawal of Kaosp and his men; he and they being replaced byan entirely new set of guards. The reason we could not discover. Wesorely missed our old friend and his cheerful ways; and Graham, atleast, had some misgivings at his absence. Had Kaosp's breach of trustin aiding Volin? and himself to meet after the trial become known,and his treachery punished? We could not get any information from ournew warders. Each one of them maintained a stolid silence, and neveraddressed a single word to either of us during those three dreadfuldays of suspense. The second thing worthy of mention was the fact thatwe were now watched day and night incessantly. There were always twoguards with us, and every movement on our part was closely observed.But in spite of all this extra precaution we were never searched, andour little personal belongings remained untouched.

  Wearily the days passed on, and we were filled with an agony ofsuspense, as our last few hours of life ebbed slowly yet surely away.Not one of us appeared fully to realise the awfulness of our impendingfate, for each in secret was buoyed up with the hope that our doom bysome means would be averted. We hoped and hoped as the time slippedon; yet nothing occurred to warrant even the remotest thought that weshould be saved. As usual, the Doctor was most cheerful; Temple andSandy were becoming exceedingly cast down; Graham had secret faith inVolin? and her mystic ring, which he still wore upon his finger.

  The fatal day dawned at last. But our guards exhibited precisely thesame stolid demeanour, and breakfast was served to us as usual. We atelittle, but drank deeply of a liquor somewhat resembling still hock,the effects of which were exceedingly stimulating and comforting. Wehad only had this "wine" at our noonday meals before, and we concludedthat our captors had been kind enough to furnish us with this liquor tobrace us for the coming ordeal at sunset. We little suspected that the"wine" was drugged, and had been given to us for a purpose!

  Half an hour after the meal was over, each one of us felt a sicklystupor creeping over him, numbing his sense of feeling, and in subtlesureness robbing him of all use of his limbs. The early effects of thepoison were by no means unpleasant. We were filled with a luxuriouslanguor; a delicious feeling of rest, of freedom from anxiety came overus, but soon the poison had other effects, and we became speechless;the brain seemed a mass of molten fire; we appeared to be swelling intoabsolute giants; everything around us grew distorted, and every muscleseemed to become scorched and withered, until we sank into a comple
testate of coma!

  From this moment we remembered no more until we were awoke by a cool,fresh wind blowing on our faces, and a hum and roar, like that fromsome excited multitude, dinning as distant thunder in our ears. Wetried to rise, but in vain; for every limb was draped in brass chains,and we were bound and helpless in the hands of our remorseless enemies!

  Graham and Sandy recovered quickly from the effects of the drug whenonce we regained consciousness, but we must have lain for many hours ina helpless state of stupor. We found ourselves in a tent, the entranceto which was folded back, but only the sky was visible, and this washidden every few moments as the giant form of a soldier passed to andfro on guard outside.

  "Curses on the refinement of their cruelty," said Graham, as he lookedround at his helpless comrades, and felt the brass fetters on his ownlegs and wrists.

  "Damn their cunning! Why could not they lead us out like men? Upon mysoul, it's something to be proud o'! They must ha' feared us, or theywouldna' ha' done this, Mr. Graham," said Sandy, in rage.

  Temple and the Doctor did not speak. The drug seemed to have bluntedall their powers of perception, and they lay helpless and still, as ina waking dream.

  "If we could only break these, Mr. Graham, we would at least diefighting, and show the incarnate devils that we dinna' fear death,"said Sandy, as he tore savagely at his chains; but, strong man as hewas, their polished links only clanged and jingled in mockery.

  "It's no good, Sandy," Graham answered; "these brass chains were madeto hold stronger men than you or I----"

  "Men of Ramos, the sun is setting, and the hour approaches when ye mustdie," said an officer, as he pushed the tent-door still wider openand walked towards us, followed by half-a-dozen soldiers. "Troopers,"he continued, "strike off the fetters from their feet and bring theseprisoners forth."

  Our feet and legs were soon set free, and we were bidden to rise.Graham and Sandy were on their feet directly; but when the Doctor andTemple tried to stand up they reeled like drunken men, and had to beassisted out of the tent by the guards.

  One by one we passed through the doorway out into the open air. Werewe still unconscious? Were we still under the influence of a subtlepoison? What wondrous magic, what enchantment was this? Edos, thepalace, the well-known gardens of Siccoth--all had changed, as in thetwinkling of an eye to us, and we found ourselves transported to themidst of a savage wilderness. How we had come hither we knew not;whilst drugged and helpless and unconscious we had been borne to thisterrible place to die.

  We stood on a steep rugged hillside, some twenty yards or so from thesummit. Below us was a vast multitude of people, congregated in theform of a horseshoe round the mountain; around us was a cordon ofsoldiers, whilst at the very top of the mountain we saw the _Sirius_,how or when conveyed thither we knew not. Escape seemed utterlyhopeless, and for the first time we realized that we were really aboutto die.

  The wild grandeur of that sunset scene can never fade from our memory.All round us were mountains whose rugged peaks were illuminated bythe rays of the sinking sun, the snow gleaming on some of them likesheets of polished silver. A volcano, with a thin wreath of blue smokecurling gently skywards crowned the sides of the distant valley, andthe ground all round us, and as far as we could see below us, wasstrewn with fantastic shaped boulders and masses of rock, but not atrace of vegetation could be seen amongst them. Everything was desolatein that vale of bitterness and death; hideous the doom that condemnedthis strange place to barrenness and ruin. The face of the mountain wasscarred and furrowed as with a vast despair, and the grey ghostly plainbelow seemed full of a horrid phantasm. No streams of water trickleddown the hillsides; not a living thing was nourished by the barren,fruitless soil! Beyond the summit, at a much higher elevation, hung avast bank of gloomy vapour, like a bitter teardrop on the face of thedesert wilderness, its surface gleaming in gold and frowning in grey asthe lights and shadows played upon its constantly changing surface.

  ... THE SIRIUS ... BOLDLY OUTLINED AGAINST THE SKY.]

  As soon as we had all got out of the tent we were conducted up themountain-side towards the _Sirius_, which stood boldly outlinedagainst the sky at the summit. When we got to the top the scene waseven more awful, enough to curdle the blood of the stoutest-heartedwith horror. We stood upon the crag Remagaloth, a jutting rock whicharched and overhung in awful grandeur a vast lake of seething moltenfire! Five thousand feet below, in one clear terrible plunge, the cruelcliffs dipped down to this lake of flame; and on the brink of thatrugged crag, jutting out like an index finger above the gulf, was the_Sirius_, looking as if the slightest touch would overbalance her, andhurl her downwards into the fiery depths.

  The surface of this molten lake was remarkably still; here and there atongue of flame shot upwards, and then sank again; here and there theseething mass heaved gently, as though simmering and swelling in sullenrage. The reflection lit up the surrounding rocks, and gleamed upon thearmour and the faces of the troops, making them look like fiends inhuman guise.

  What words can describe our feelings as we stood chained and helplesson the brink of Melag, awaiting our hideous doom! The sun already washalf-hidden below the mountain-tops behind us in the distant west, andthe plain of desolation below was fast cloaking its horrors in thegloom of night. Earth shone as a pale star in the clear sky, and oureyes looked out with yearning love across the realms of space towardsher, our home! Alas, home no more! In a few more fleeting moments allwould be over! We thought with horror of the death before us, of theactual time when the _Sirius_, after falling five thousand feet like awinged and helpless bird, would strike with a dull gurgling sound themolten lake below; and then of what we should experience in that onebrief, dreadful moment between life and death, when the ocean of livingfire should surge over us in its pitiless embrace.

  We had little time for thought, however, for almost directly we reachedthe jutting crag the same commander stepped forward and said----

  "Men of Ramos, it is here that by the King's commands ye are to die.It is his royal will that this strange carriage in which ye came toGathma shall be consumed with ye; so that ye and your evil works may beentirely destroyed."

  As he spoke a loud tumultuous shout of approbation rose from theassembled hosts below us, and then a silence as of death came over theexpectant throng as they watched in breathless excitement the closingscene of this awful execution. Once more our feet were chained, so thatwe were utterly helpless.

  Not one of us spoke as we were assisted up the ladder into the_Sirius_. As we entered one by one we noticed a score or more stalwarttroopers standing round, evidently waiting for the signal to hurl usover into the lake as soon as all was prepared. Sandy and his dog weretaken first, then Graham, then Temple, and last of all the Doctor. AsGraham was going up the ladder, Perodii stepped forward. We had notnoticed him before, but he had come to see the death of his rival, andto mock and triumph over him in his helpless agony.

  "See, thou boasting fool, Volin? hath deserted thee in thy hour ofneed! She comes not to see thee enter eternal fire! Her shame is deeperthan her love; and even her magic ring cannot help thee now! Thatsilly, soul-saving Echri, and his wondrous magic are impotent before afew brass chains and stalwart troopers!"

  "Coward! Breathe not her dear name to me, and keep your blasphemy forthose who may appreciate it. Were but my fetters loose, I would makecarrion of your carcase; and I die breathing curses on your lyingtongue," Graham answered with wonderful coolness.

  "Begone! Leap thee into Hell, and take thy punishment for meddling withthings that concerned thee not," Perodii continued, unable to concealhis mortification at his vain effort to rouse Graham into a display ofopen anger.

  Graham was stung to madness by Perodii's bitter taunts, and as soon ashe got inside the _Sirius_ he tore at his chains like one possessed.The muscles of his arms swelled out like knotted ropes, and the veinson his hands seemed about to burst as he wrestled with the strong brassfetters. His strength seemed supernatural, and at last with a migh
tywrench he snapped the links asunder, and with a cry of joy rusheddown to the engine-room. Already we heard the signal being given;the _Sirius_ was toppling over, but instead of falling, the motorssped round and we rose upwards towards the clouds, triumphant overour enemies. A terrible cry of rage and disappointment came from thespectators. In his excitement Graham forgot his manacled companions,and hurried out on to the balcony to taunt the baffled crowd below. Asthe _Sirius_ slowly mounted through the air, a shout rose up from thecowed and frightened soldiers----

  "It is Echri's magic ring that hath worked this marvel, and deliveredthese men of Ramos out of our hands. Woe, woe unto us for defying him!"

  "We shall meet again, Perodii," shouted Graham at the top of his voice,"and when we do I'll make you answer to me for all the evil you havewrought."

  The voices of the crowd were now only as a distant murmur, and soonafter we were too far away to hear any sounds at all. Graham soon foundtools and released us from our fetters.

  "Thank God, for once again delivering us from peril," said Templereverently.

  "The ring, the ring you all despised and scoffed at, has saved us,"said Graham; "for the hand which carried it found more than a giant'sstrength. Call it superstition, if you will, but I solemnly swear thatmy unaided strength was not equal to those chains."

  "The best thing to do," said the Doctor slowly, and with someimpatience in his voice, for he was yet feeling dazed and weak, "is tosettle where we are going. I am certain the _Sirius_ cannot carry usthree hundred miles."

  "Let us put as much distance as possible between Edos and ourselves,"Temple suggested.

  "Very true, Temple, but unfortunately we know not in which directionEdos lies," the Doctor answered.

  And so we sped on, we knew not whither, but keeping a sharp look-out.Our course was nearly due north, a point or so east. The country,so far as we could judge in the deepening gloom, was forbidding inappearance, and the reflection from the lake of molten fire shone onthe heavens for a vast distance. We seemed to have left all fertilelands behind us, and were hastening into regions of desert barrenness.

  Two hours after our escape from Remagaloth, our stock of electricityshowed signs of becoming exhausted. We had not the wherewithal togenerate more. We were now quite two hundred miles away to thenorth-eastward of the fire-lake, and here we were compelled to descend.We dropped gently down on what seemed to be a vast plain, barren ofvegetation; and there, safe in the _Sirius_, we ate a hearty meal,enjoyed the luxury of a cigar, and went to sleep, all eager for thedawn to disclose to us the nature of the country we had entered.