The Fugitives: The Tyrant Queen of Madagascar

by R. M. Ballantyne

  CHAPTER TWENTY NINE.

  THREATENED DEATH AVERTED--BURIED ALIVE--END OF THE TYRANT QUEEN--REVOLTCRUSHED AND RADAMA THE SECOND CROWNED.

  One morning, shortly after sunrise, Mark was awakened by the entrance oftheir jailor. By that time he had grown so accustomed to clankingchains, shooting bolts, and such-like sounds, that he looked up sleepilyand without much interest, but a thrill or qualm passed through him whenhe observed that the jailor was followed by Hater of Lies with hissilver spear.

  Still more were he and his awakened comrades horrified when the names ofRavoninohitriniony and Voalavo were sternly called out. Both menpromptly stood up.

  "At last!" said the former, quietly, and without a trace of excitement."Well, I am glad, for it is the Lord's will. Farewell, my friends," headded, looking back as he was led away, "we shall all meet again ingreat joy--farewell!"

  Evidently Voalavo did not take things so quietly. His lips were firmlycompressed, his face was deeply flushed, and his brows were sternlycontracted, as they led him out. But for his chains the chief wouldcertainly have given his jailors some trouble.

  The whole thing passed so quickly that it seemed to those left behindlike a dream when they found themselves alone. Ebony sat down, put hisface on his knees, and fairly burst into tears.

  "Oh! Lord," he sobbed, "send 'em quick for me, an' let's hab it ober!"

  It seemed as if the poor fellow's prayer was about to be answered, foragain the door opened, and the Secretary entered.

  "Be not afraid," he said, observing their alarm, "I come not to summonyou to death, but to ask you, doctor, to come and see the Queen--she isill."

  "Oh! massa, pison her! _Do_, massa! Nobody would call it murder," saidthe negro, with fervent entreaty.

  Paying no attention to this advice, Mark followed the Secretary, and thebolts were again drawn on his friends.

  He found Ranavalona suffering severely. Indeed, for some time previousto that her health had been failing, and she would gladly have had theadvice of her Court Physician, but seemed to be ashamed to send for himafter the way she had caused him to be treated. There is this to besaid for her, that she would probably have liberated him long ago, butfor the advice of her minister, Rainiharo, who was jealous of the youngEnglishman's growing popularity as well as a hater of his religion.

  After prescribing for the Queen and affording her some relief, he gaveorders that she should be kept very quiet; that no noise was to bepermitted in or near the palace. Then he left her apartments with theSecretary.

  As they traversed one of the corridors, the latter told Mark that theorder had been given for the execution of Ravonino and Voalavo.

  "Was that order given by the Queen?" demanded Mark, flushing withindignation, while a gush of anxiety almost choked him.

  "No, it was given by Rainiharo, who takes advantage of his position andthe Queen's illness."

  Just then a step was heard at the further end of the passage, and Haterof Lies advanced towards them with his badge of office, the silverspear, in his hand.

  Like a flash of light an idea entered the young Englishman's head! Hehad no time to think or plan--only to act. In the same moment, however,he offered up a silent prayer for help.

  As the officer was about to pass, Mark snatched the spear from his handand brought the handle of it down on its owner's crown with suchgood-will that the Hater of Lies was laid flat upon the floor!

  Thunder-struck, the Secretary gazed at his young companion. "You areruined now!" he said.

  "True, and _you_ must be ruined along with me! Here, take the spear andact the part of the Hater of Lies."

  For a moment the Secretary hesitated--then, as if suddenly making up hismind, he said--

  "Come, I am with you heart and soul!"

  "Lead to the place of execution--quick," cried Mark.

  "We will take the prison in passing," said his companion, grasping thespear and hastening onward.

  The prison was soon reached. The guards were a little surprised at thechange of the bearer, but no one dared to think of opposing the passageof the well-known and awful emblem of office!

  "Come, Hockins, Ebony, Laihova, follow us," cried Mark, springing in.

  He did not wait to explain. The Secretary, acting his part well,stalked with grand solemnity down the streets towards the western gateof the city. His four friends followed. Every one made way. Hockinsand the negro, not knowing what they might be called on to do, took thefirst opportunity that presented, each to seize and carry off agarden-stake, as a substitute for cudgel or quarter-staff.

  The guards, as before, let them pass without question. Once outside thetown they quickened their pace, and finally ran.

  "We may be too late!" gasped Mark.

  "It may be so--but we have not far to go." As he spoke theydistinguished sounds as of men engaged in a struggle. On turning apoint of rock they came in sight of a party of twelve soldiers. Theywere struggling fiercely with one man, whom they tried to bind. But theman seemed to possess the power of Samson.

  "It's Voalavo," cried Hockins, and rushed to the rescue.

  "Das so," cried the negro, following suit with blazing eyes.

  Snatching the silver spear from the Secretary, Mark sprang forward likea wild-cat, and, sweeping it right and left, brought down two of themen. His comrades overturned two others whose muskets they seized,while Voalavo, with the power of a giant, hurled two others from him asif they had been boys. He did not stop to speak, but to the surprise ofhis rescuers, ran straight into a neighbouring coppice, and disappeared.

  For one moment the remaining soldiers lowered their bayonets as if tocharge, but the Secretary, grasping the Hater of Lies, said, in acommanding tone--

  "What means this haste? Ye shall answer to the Queen for what you havedone! Go! Return to your quarters. You are under arrest. Carry yourcomrades with you!"

  Cowed by this speech, for they all knew the Secretary to be a man ofposition and power in the palace, the soldiers humbly picked up theirfallen comrades and retired. The victors immediately ran into thecoppice in search of Voalavo, whom they found on his knees, digging upthe earth with both hands as if for very life! Just as they came up hehad uncovered the face of Ravonino, who had been buried alive, and wasalready as pale as if he were dead.

  "Have they killed him?" gasped Laihova, as he dropped on his knees withthe others, and began to dig.

  "No--they do not kill when the sentence is to bury alive," said theSecretary, "but no doubt he is half-suffocated."

  The grave was very shallow--not more than a foot deep, and a living manmight without much difficulty have struggled out of it, but the poor manhad been bound to a long pole, which was buried along with him, so thathe could not move. They soon got him out, and were about to cast himloose when there arose a cry in the city which quickly increased to amighty roar.

  "They have found out our trick," said the Secretary. "Nothing can saveus now but flight. Come--take him up. This way!"

  In a moment Hockins and Ebony had the ends of the pole on theirshoulders, and bore their still unconscious friend after the Secretary.The noise and shouting in the town increased, and it soon became evidentthat they were pursued, being led, no doubt, by the soldiers who hadbeen so roughly handled.

  "This way," cried their guide, turning sharp into a by-path which ledthem into a small garden, "a friend--a Christian--dwells here."

  The friend turned out to be an old woman who was rather deaf, but sheheard enough to understand the situation.

  "Here!" she said, tottering into a back-yard, in which was a quantity ofstraw and rubbish. "Go down there."

  She pointed to a hole. It was the mouth of a rice-hole. Down went theSecretary, without a word, and turned to receive the end of the polewhich Hockins passed carefully in. The rest followed. The old womanput on the cover and threw over it some of the rubbish.

  Being pitch dark, the nature of the place could not be distinguished bythe fugitives, but they co
uld hear the shouting of the soldiers whosearched the house for them. They could also hear the angry queriesthat were put to the owner of the place, and they could perceive thatthe old woman had miraculously become dumb as well as stone deaf!

  Soon the quietness overhead led them to hope that the soldiers had left.In a short time the cover of the rice-hole was removed, and the oldwoman, putting her head down, informed them that all was safe, at leastin the meantime.

  They now unfastened Ravonino from the pole, and found, to their greatjoy, that he was yet alive, though considerably shaken. A littlerice-soup, however, and a night's rest, put him all right again.

  In that hole, carefully tended by the deaf old woman, these six werecompelled to secrete themselves for a week, during which time thesoldiers were scouring the country in all directions in search of them.They had to keep so close, and to be so careful, that they did not evendare to let the old woman go near the neighbours to inquire what wasgoing on in the town, though naturally they were very anxious on thatpoint.

  At the end of that week, while the fugitives were taking a breath offresh air in the yard, they were surprised by hearing the tramp ofapproaching soldiers. To dive into their hiding-place and be coveredover by the old woman was the work of a few seconds. Anxiously theylistened while the renewed search was going on. The sounds sometimesshowed that the searchers were retiring from the yard, at other timesdrawing near to it. At last a step was heard on the rubbish heap abovethem; then a blow resounded on their covering, as if with the butt-endof a musket. This was followed by a shout, a clamour of voices, and ahasty clearing away of the rubbish.

  "All is lost!" exclaimed the Secretary in his native tongue.

  "Not while we have arms," growled Voalavo.

  "You need not count on me to help you," said Ravonino, quietly, in thenative tongue; "why should we slaughter men uselessly? If we had achance of making a dash I would fight. But we can get out of this holeonly one by one, and no doubt a hundred men await us!"

  "Is we a-goin' to fight, massa?" asked the negro, hopefully.

  "Of coorse we are," said Hockins.

  "No, my friend, we are not," said the Secretary, "our only hope, now, isin God."

  "It seems to me," rejoined Ravonino, "that God is our only hope at _all_times--whether in danger or in safety; but He makes it plain just nowthat our duty, as well as our wisdom, lies in quiet submission."

  Ebony received this remark with a groan, and Hockins with something likea growl. Just then the covering of their hiding-place was thrown off,and several bayonet-points appeared.

  "Come out, one at a time, quietly, else we will shoot you where youstand!" exclaimed a stern voice.

  The Secretary translated this. At the same time Ravonino clambered outof the rice-hole, and was instantly seized and bound.

  "It's all over now--may the Lord have mercy on us!" exclaimed Hockins,dropping his weapon and following his friend.

  Whatever might have been the various feelings of the unfortunate party,the example thus set was accepted, for each one submitted, and when Marklooked round on the large band of armed men, by whom they weresurrounded, he perceived the wisdom of Ravonino's advice, and howhopeless would have been any attempt on the part of himself and hisfriends to break through and escape.

  Silently, and without a word of explanation, the officer in command ledhis captives into the town. They were too much overwhelmed by theircalamitous circumstances to pay much attention to anything, yet theycould not help observing that greater crowds of people than usual werehurrying through the streets, and that every one wore, more or less, anair of excitement.

  Our friends had expected to be cast into their old prison, but they wereled straight to the palace, where they were handed over to the officeron duty. In spite of the depression of his spirits, the Secretary couldnot resist his feelings of curiosity, and asked what all the stir meant,but he received no answer.

  The prisoners were now conducted into a large room, where they foundPrince Rakota standing, surrounded by a crowd of people--male andfemale. Beside the Prince was his cousin, Ramonja. Ravonino andLaihova observed--with a gush of feeling which may be understood but notdescribed--that Rafaravavy and Ra-Ruth were among the ladies. PoorReni-Mamba was also there, her mild face showing unmistakable traces ofthe suffering caused by the loss of her only son.

  "Welcome, my friends," said Rakota, hastening forward to receive theprisoners. "You are now safe and free!"

  "Safe? free?" repeated the Secretary, in surprise.

  "Yes. Have they not told you the news?" he asked, while an expression,as of pain, passed over his face, "my mother--the Queen--is dead! Butcome," he added quickly, as if he wished to avoid the subject, "I wishto consult with you, for serious dangers threaten us. Come."

  He left the room quickly, followed by the Secretary, while Ravonino andLaihova were drinking in the news from the respective lips that pleasedthem best. The facts were soon communicated to all the party.

  The Queen, they said, who had been declining in health for aconsiderable time past, had latterly become much worse. No doubt herfailure to stamp out Christianity must have aggravated her complaint,for the effect of her extreme severity was rather to advance than hinderthe good cause. The persecutions--the banishments--the murders--oftwenty-five years, instead of checking, had spread the Gospel far andwide over the land, for, as in the first days, `they that were scatteredabroad went everywhere preaching the Word,' and the amazing constancy,and courage, and tenderness to their enemies, of the noble army ofmartyrs, had given a depth and power to the Christian life which mightotherwise have been wanting.

  At all events, whatever the cause, Ranavalona the First sank rapidly,and, on the 15th of August, 1861, after a reign of thirty-three years,the Tyrant Queen of Madagascar passed away to the tribunal of the Kingof Kings.

  Her son, Prince Rakota, was her successor; but his succession was not tobe unopposed. He had a rival claimant to the throne in his own cousinRambosalama, an able, wary, and unscrupulous man, who, on perceivingthat the end was approaching, had laid his plans secretly andextensively for seizing the reins of government. Prince Rakota,however, was so much beloved that all his cousin's plans were revealedto him by his friends, but the disposition of the prince was too humaneto permit of his adopting the usual savage means to foil his foe.

  "All has been told to me," he said to the Secretary. "My cousin hasgained many to his side--especially of those who hate the Christians.He has even hired men to kill me! I know it, because one of theassassins came last night and warned me. At the same time he confessedthat he had intended to commit the crime."

  "But have you not taken steps to thwart your cousin!"

  "I have. For some time past every allowable measure for our protectionhas been taken, but the religion of Jesus, as you know, forbids me toresort to poison, the chain, or the spear. My reign shall not beginwith bloodshed if I can help it. You know that my good friend theCommander-in-Chief of the troops, Rainiharo's son, is on our side.Finding that my cousin went about armed, he recently issued an orderthat no one should be allowed to carry arms in the palace. As I myselfbowed to this order, and submitted to be searched, of course Rambosalamahad no excuse for refusing. Then, as a precaution, we have concealedfrom all except sure friends the orders which, from day to day, haveregulated the movements of the troops. I have met daily in councilthose on whom I can depend, and our course of action is all arranged.Only one point remains unsettled, and it is that which I ask you toundertake--for your will is resolute."

  "Whatever my Prince requires of me shall be done--if it be not againstthe laws of my God," said the Secretary.

  Rakota looked pleased with the reply. "I want you," he said, "to standin the passage here, till Rambosalama appears. He is sure to pass,being now in the death-chamber, to which I return speedily. Hisfollowers will be in force in the palace-yard--I hear the multitudesassembling even now. When he passes this way it will be to give thesignal of revolt. You wi
ll stop him. If he resists, use force--you arestrong! You understand?"

  The Secretary looked intelligent, and bowed as the Prince rose and lefthim. Then he hastily sought for and found his friend Ebony, with whomhe had struck up a sort of happy-go-lucky friendship.

  Meanwhile the multitudes, who had heard early in the morning that theQueen was dying, had crowded every street that led to the palace. Somehad even pressed into the courts in their anxiety to know the truth.Laxity seemed to prevail among the guards, for many people who carriedweapons ill-concealed in their lambas, and whose looks as well asmovements were suspicious, were allowed to enter. These were thepartisans of Rambosalama. Indeed it is probable that even among theguards themselves there were adherents of the Pretender.

  But the faithful Commander-in-Chief was on the alert, and had laid hisplans. He stood in the chamber of death where the mourners wereweeping. He watched with keen eye the movements of Rambosalama, andwhen that Prince left the room for the purpose of giving the signal tohis followers, he slipped quietly out and gave his counter-signal, whichwas the waving of a scarf from a window. Instantly a trumpet sounded,and more than a thousand trusty soldiers who had been in waiting marchedinto the palace courts.

  Hearing the trumpet, the Pretender hastened along the passage that ledto the court. At the end of it a door opened, and the Secretary,stepping out, confronted him.

  "Well met, Rambosalama," he said, taking his arm in a friendly but firmway, "I have somewhat to say to you."

  "Not now, not now!" exclaimed the other, hastily. "I am wanted outside!Another time--"

  "No time like the present," interrupted the Secretary, tightening hisgrasp, "come this way."

  Rambosalama taking alarm, tried to wrench himself free, but theSecretary was strong. At the same moment a powerful black hand graspedthe nape of his neck.

  "Come now, sar, you go 'long quiet an' comf'r'able an' nobody hurt you.Dis way. Das a sweet little chamber for de naughty boys."

  With a force that there was no resisting Ebony pushed the prince into asmall room with a very small window. The door was shut, the key turned,and the danger was past!

  Immediately afterwards the Commander-in-Chief appeared on the balcony ofthe palace, announced the Queen's death to the multitude, and, amiddemonstrations of wildest joy, alike from soldiers and people,proclaimed Rakota King of Madagascar, under the title of Radama theSecond.

  In the afternoon of the same day the King presented himself to thepeople, arrayed in royal robes, with a crown on his head, and surroundedby his chief nobles.

  So overjoyed were the people at the blessed change from the tyranny of acruel woman to the sway of a gentle prince, that it was some time beforethey could be quieted. When silence was obtained, the King, in a fewand simple words, assured his subjects that his great desire was, andhis aim would be, to devote himself to their welfare, and that of thecountry over which he had been called to reign.

  CHAPTER THIRTY.

  THE LAST.

  The vigour with which Prince Rakota put down the attempt at usurpationwas followed by characteristic deeds of leniency and kindness. Insteadof taking the usual method of savage and semi-civilised rulers to crushrebellion, he merely banished Rambosalama from the capital, and confinedhim in a residence of his own in the country; but no fetters were put onhis limbs, and his wealth was not forfeited, nor was he forbidden tocommunicate with his friends.

  Moreover, before the sun of that day in 1861 had set, the new Kingcaused it to be proclaimed far and wide that all his subjects mightdepend upon receiving equal protection; that every man was free toworship God according to the dictates of his own conscience; that theprison-doors should be thrown open to those who had been condemned forconscience sake, and their fetters knocked off. He also sent officersto announce to those who had been banished to the pestilential districtsthat the day of deliverance had come.

  To many of these last, of course, the good news came too late for thislife. Disease, and hard labour and cruel fetters, had done their work;but the deliverance that came to these was grander and more gloriousthan the mere removal of earthly chains and pains.

  It was a glad day for Madagascar, and the people of the capital werewild with joy, for condemned ones who had long been given up as lost,because enslaved or imprisoned for life, were suddenly restored tofamily and friends, while others could entertain the hope that those whohad been long banished would speedily return to them. Many a house inthe city resounded that day with hymns of praise and thanksgiving thatthe tyrant Queen was dead, and that the gentle Prince was crowned.

  But the change did not bring equal joy to all. Some there were whosesmitten hearts could not recover from the crushing blows they hadsustained when the news of loved ones having perished in exile had beenbrought to them--though even these felt an impulse of pleasure fromChristian sympathy with the joy of their more fortunate friends.

  Among these last was poor Reni-Mamba. She, being very meek andsubmissive, had tried hard to join in the prayer and praise; but hervoice was choked when she attempted to speak, and it quavered sadly whenshe tried to sing.

  "Oh! if it had only pleased God to spare thee, Mamba--thou crumb of mylife!--my dear, my only son!" She broke out thus one day when thesympathetic Ra-Ruth sought to comfort her. "I was beginning to get overthe loss of his father--it was so many years ago that they took him fromme! and as my boy grew up, the likeness to my Andrianivo was so strongthat I used to try to think it was himself; but--now--both--"

  "Are with the Lord, which is far better," said Ra-Ruth, tenderly layingher hand on Reni's arm.

  "You are young to give such comfort," returned Reni, with a sad smile.

  "It is not I who give it, but the Lord," returned Ra-Ruth. "And youforget, mother, that I am old in experience. When I stood on the edgeof the Rock of Hurling, that awful day, and saw the dear ones tossedover one by one, I think that many years passed over my head!"

  "True--true," returned the other, "I am a selfish old woman--forgettingothers when I think so much of myself. Come--let us go to the meeting.You know that the congregation assembles to-day for the first time aftermany, many, years--so many!"

  "Yes, mother, I know it. Indeed I came here partly to ask you to gowith me. And they say that Totosy, the great preacher, is to speak tous."

  Many others besides these two wended their way to the meeting-house thatday. Among them was a group in which the reader is perhaps interested.It consisted of Mark Breezy, John Hockins, Ebony Ginger, SamuelRavoninohitriniony, Laihova, and Voalavo.

  "Well now, this is the queerest go-to-meetin' that I've had to do withsince I was a babby," remarked Hockins, as he looked from side to sideupon the varied crowd of men and women, black, brown, and yellow, richand poor, noble and slave, who were joyfully and noisily thronging tothe house of God!

  "Das true,--an' look dar!" said Ebony, pointing to a young woman who wasstanding as if thunder-struck before a worn-out, feeble, white-hairedman in tattered garments, with a heavy iron collar on his neck.

  Recovering from her surprise, the young woman uttered the word "Father"with a wild shriek, and rushed into the old man's arms.

  "Easy to see that he is a banished one returned unexpectedly," observedMark, as the young woman, after the first wild embrace, seized the oldman's arm and hurried him towards the meeting-house, while tears of joystreamed from her eyes.

  And this was not the only case they witnessed, for constantly, duringthe days that followed the accession of Radama the Second, exiles werehastening home,--men and women in rags, worn and wasted with want andsuffering--reappearing in the city to the astonishment and joy offriends who had supposed them long since dead. Yes, the long-desiredjubilee had come at last, and not only was there great rejoicing overthose lost and found ones, but also over many who, through the power ofsympathy, were brought at that time to the Saviour and repentance.

  Referring to that period, one of those returned exiles writes thus:--

  "On Thursday, 2
9th August 1861, we that were in concealment appeared. Then all the people were astonished when they saw us, that we were alive and not yet buried or eaten by the dogs. And there were a great many people desiring to see us, for they considered us as dead, and this is what astonished them. On the 9th of September, those that were in fetters came to Antananarivo, but they could not walk on account of the weight of the heavy fetters and their weak and feeble bodies."

  It was a strange gathering, and there were many surprises in the churchthat day, and some strange music too, besides that of psalms and hymnsand spiritual songs, for, during the service, several exiles who hadjust arrived, hearing what was going on, had hastened to the scene ofreunion without waiting to have their fetters filed off, and entered thehouse in clanking chains.

  The preacher's duty was one of unusual difficulty, for, besides thesepeculiar interruptions and the exclamations of surprised friends, thesympathy of his own heart nearly choked his utterance more than once.But Totosy was equal to the occasion. His heart was on fire, his lipswere eloquent, and the occasion was one of a thousand, never to beforgotten. Despite difficulties, he held his audience spell-bound whilehe discoursed of the "wonderful words of God" and the shower of blessingwhich had begun to fall.

  Suddenly, during a momentary pause in the discourse, the clanking of avery heavy chain was heard, and a man was seen to make his way throughthe crowd. Like Saul, head and shoulders above his fellows, gaunt,worn, and ragged, he had been standing near the door, not listening,apparently, to the preacher, but intent on scanning the faces of thecongregation. Discovering at length what he looked for, he forced hisway to the side of Reni-mamba, sank at her feet, and with a profoundsigh--almost a groan--laid his head upon her lap!

  Mamba, grown to a giant, seemed to have come back to her. But it wasnot her son. It was Andrianivo, her long-lost husband! For one momentpoor Reni seemed terrified and bewildered, then she suddenly grasped theman's prematurely grey head in both hands and covered the face withpassionate kisses, uttering every now and then a shriek by way ofrelieving her feelings.

  Great though the preacher's power was in overcoming the difficulties ofhis position, Reni-Mamba's meek spirit, when thus roused, was too muchfor him. He was obliged to stop. At the same moment the gaunt giantarose, gathered up Reni in his great arms as if she had been a merebaby, and, without a word, stalked out of the meeting to the music ofhis clanking chains. A Malagasy cheer burst from the sympatheticpeople.

  "Praise the Lord! Let us sing!" shouted the wise Totosy, and in a fewseconds the congregation was letting off its surplus steam in tremendousand jubilant song, to the ineffable joy of Ebony, who must have burstout in some other way had not this safety-valve been provided.

  But there were more surprises in store for that singular meeting. Afterthe sermon the preacher announced that two marriages were about to besolemnised by him in the simplest manner possible. "My friends," hesaid, "one of the bridegrooms is only half a Malagasy, the other half ofhim is English. He objects to ceremony, and his friend, the other manto be married, objects to everything that _he_ objects to, and agrees toeverything that _he_ agrees to, which is a very satisfactory state ofmind in a friend; so they are to be married together."

  Immediately after this speech Ravonino led forward Rafaravavy, andLaihova advanced with Ra-Ruth, and these two couples were then and thereunited in matrimony. Radama the Second, and Prince Ramonja, who hadbeen recalled and reinstated with the Secretary, and Soa, and othercourtiers, graced the wedding with their presence.

  From this time, Radama the Second--or Rakota, as we still prefer to callhim--began systematically to undo the mischief which his wicked motherhad done. He began to build a college; he re-opened the schoolsthroughout the country which had been closed in the previous reign, andacted on principles of civil and religions liberty and universal freetrade, while the London Missionary Society--which had sent out the firstProtestant Missionaries in 1818-20--were invited to resume theirbeneficent labours in the island--an invitation which, of course, theygladly accepted, and at once despatched the veteran Mr Ellis, and othermissionaries, to the re-opened field. _See Note 1_.

  But all this, and much more historical matter of great interest, we mustleave untouched, in order that we may wind up the record of our heroes'fortunes, or misfortunes; as the reader pleases to consider them.

  The events which we have described occurred in such rapid successionthat our trio--Mark, Hockins, and Ebony--had scarce found breathing-timeto consider what they should do, now that they were free to do as theypleased.

  "Go home, ob course," said Ebony, when the question was mooted. "Ain'tmy black darlin' awaitin' ob me dar?"

  "I incline to the same course," said Mark, "for my--well, I won't saywho, is awaiting me there also."

  "Unless she's falled in lub wid some one else, tinkin' you was dead,massa, you know," suggested Ebony.

  "Ditto, says I," answered Hockins, when appealed to, "for, to the besto' my belief, my old ooman is awaitin' for me, too, over there--hepointed to England with the stem of his pipe--to say nothin' o' threethumpin' boys an' a gal--also an old gran'-mother an' a maiden aunt,etceterer--all awaitin' with great patience, I have no manner o' doubt."

  "But how's we to git dar? Das de question; as Hamblit said to hismoder's ghost."

  The question was answered sooner than they expected, for while they wereyet speaking, a summons came from the King commanding the immediateattendance of the Court Physician. The object was to offer Mark hisappointment permanently, but Mark respectfully, yet firmly, declined thehonour.

  "I feared that," said the King, "for I doubt not that you has friends inyour native home which draws you. Well, you wishes to go. I say, `Gowith my good-will.' There is Breetish ship loading at Tamatave now. Ifyou and you's friends mus' go, there be your chance, and I will send youto Tamatave in palanquins. We all very sorry you go, for you was usefulto us, and you was be kind--to my mother!"

  Of course Mark gladly availed himself of the opportunity, thankfullyaccepted the king's offer, and went off to inform his comrades and makepreparation.

  It was a sad occasion when they met in the house of their old guideRavonino, to spend the last evening with him and Rafaravavy, andLaihova, and Ra-Ruth, Reni-Mamba and her husband, Voalavo, Soa, Totosy,the Secretary, and other friends, but it was also a time of pleasantcommuning about days that seemed so long past, although so recent. Theyalso communed of days to come, and especially of that great day ofreunion in the Better Land. And intensely earnest was the final prayerof the native pastor Totosy, as he commended his friends to the lovingcare of God.

  Next day they set sail for the seaport town of Tamatave.

  And here we might appropriately terminate our narrative, for the brightdays that had begun to dawn on Madagascar have never since been darkenedby persecution--though they have not been altogether cloudless or freefrom the curse of war; for, with its enormous capacities and importantposition, the island has long been a morsel, coveted by some of what menstyle the "Great Powers."

  But we may not close our tale without at least touching on one darkspot, the contemplation of which cannot fail to grieve the heart ofevery sincere Christian. Rakota, the gentle, humane, courageous Prince,who had always favoured, and suffered hardship for, the cause of Christ,who had shielded and saved many of the Christians at the risk of his ownlife, and seemed to be--indeed was--a very pillar in the infant church,Rakota fell into gross sin and ultimately perished by the assassin'shand.

  We have no right to judge him. Only this we know, that "the blood ofJesus Christ cleanseth from _all_ sin;" and if his life and death throwlight upon any passage of Scripture, they seem to bring out in strongrelief the words, "Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest hefall."

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  It was a bright breezy morning when our three heroes stood on the deckof a homeward-bound vessel and gazed wistfully over the taffrail at
thefast-receding shore. When the island sank like a little cloud into thehorizon and disappeared, Mark and Ebony turned their eager eyes in thedirection of old England, as if they half expected that celebrated isleof the west to appear! Possibly the one was thinking of a fair one withgolden hair and blue eyes and a rosebud mouth. It is not improbablethat the other was engaged in mental contemplation of a dark one with "aflat nose, and a coal-scuttle mout', an' such eyes!" As for Hockins, hestood with his sea-legs wide apart, his hands in his breeches pockets,and his eyes frowning severely at the deck. Evidently his thoughts,whether of past, present, or future, were too deep for utterance, for,like his comrades, he maintained unbroken silence.

  Leaving them thus in pensive meditation, we regretfully bid them--andour readers--farewell!

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  Note 1. Those who wish for fuller information will find it in suchworks as _Madagascar and its People_, by James Sibree, Junior;_Madagascar, its Missions and its Martyrs; The History of Madagascar_,etcetera, by Reverend William Ellis; _Madagascar of To-day_, (athreepenny volume), by G.A. Shaw, FZS, etcetera.

  THE END.