The Lost Continent

by Edgar Rice Burroughs

  9

  Victory! She was here, a slave to these black conquerors. Once more Istarted toward her, but better judgment held me back--I could donothing to help her other than by stealth. Could I even accomplishaught by this means? I did not know. It seemed beyond the pale ofpossibility, and yet I should try.

  "And you will not bend the knee to me?" continued Menelek, after shehad spoken. Victory shook her head in a most decided negation.

  "You shall be my first choice, then," said the emperor. "I like yourspirit, for the breaking of it will add to my pleasure in you, andnever fear but that it shall be broken--this very night. Take her tomy apartments," and he motioned to an officer at his side.

  I was surprised to see Victory follow the man off in apparent quietsubmission. I tried to follow, that I might be near her against someopportunity to speak with her or assist in her escape. But, after Ihad followed them from the throne room, through several otherapartments, and down a long corridor, I found my further progressbarred by a soldier who stood guard before a doorway through which theofficer conducted Victory.

  Almost immediately the officer reappeared and started back in thedirection of the throne room. I had been hiding in a doorway after theguard had turned me back, having taken refuge there while his back wasturned, and, as the officer approached me, I withdrew into the roombeyond, which was in darkness. There I remained for a long time,watching the sentry before the door of the room in which Victory was aprisoner, and awaiting some favorable circumstance which would give meentry to her.

  I have not attempted to fully describe my sensations at the moment Irecognized Victory, because, I can assure you, they were entirelyindescribable. I should never have imagined that the sight of anyhuman being could affect me as had this unexpected discovery of Victoryin the same room in which I was, while I had thought of her for weekseither as dead, or at best hundreds of miles to the west, and asirretrievably lost to me as though she were, in truth, dead.

  I was filled with a strange, mad impulse to be near her. It was notenough merely to assist her, or protect her--I desired to touch her--totake her in my arms. I was astounded at myself. Another thing puzzledme--it was my incomprehensible feeling of elation since I had againseen her. With a fate worse than death staring her in the face, andwith the knowledge that I should probably die defending her within thehour, I was still happier than I had been for weeks--and all because Ihad seen again for a few brief minutes the figure of a little heathenmaiden. I couldn't account for it, and it angered me; I had neverbefore felt any such sensations in the presence of a woman, and I hadmade love to some very beautiful ones in my time.

  It seemed ages that I stood in the shadow of that doorway, in theill-lit corridor of the palace of Menelek XIV. A sickly gas jet cast asad pallor upon the black face of the sentry. The fellow seemed rootedto the spot. Evidently he would never leave, or turn his back again.

  I had been in hiding but a short time when I heard the sound of distantcannon. The truce had ended, and the battle had been resumed. Veryshortly thereafter the earth shook to the explosion of a shell withinthe city, and from time to time thereafter other shells burst at nogreat distance from the palace. The yellow men were bombarding NewGondar again.

  Presently officers and slaves commenced to traverse the corridor onmatters pertaining to their duties, and then came the emperor, scowlingand wrathful. He was followed by a few personal attendants, whom hedismissed at the doorway to his apartments--the same doorway throughwhich Victory had been taken. I chafed to follow him, but the corridorwas filled with people. At last they betook themselves to their ownapartments, which lay upon either side of the corridor.

  An officer and a slave entered the very room in which I hid, forcing meto flatten myself to one side in the darkness until they had passed.Then the slave made a light, and I knew that I must find another hidingplace.

  Stepping boldly into the corridor, I saw that it was now empty save forthe single sentry before the emperor's door. He glanced up as Iemerged from the room, the occupants of which had not seen me. Iwalked straight toward the soldier, my mind made up in an instant. Itried to simulate an expression of cringing servility, and I must havesucceeded, for I entirely threw the man off his guard, so that hepermitted me to approach within reach of his rifle before stopping me.Then it was too late--for him.

  Without a word or a warning, I snatched the piece from his grasp, and,at the same time struck him a terrific blow between the eyes with myclenched fist. He staggered back in surprise, too dumbfounded even tocry out, and then I clubbed his rifle and felled him with a singlemighty blow.

  A moment later, I had burst into the room beyond. It was empty!

  I gazed about, mad with disappointment. Two doors opened from this toother rooms. I ran to the nearer and listened. Yes, voices werecoming from beyond and one was a woman's, level and cold and filledwith scorn. There was no terror in it. It was Victory's.

  I turned the knob and pushed the door inward just in time to seeMenelek seize the girl and drag her toward the far end of theapartment. At the same instant there was a deafening roar just outsidethe palace--a shell had struck much nearer than any of itspredecessors. The noise of it drowned my rapid rush across the room.

  But in her struggles, Victory turned Menelek about so that he saw me.She was striking him in the face with her clenched fist, and now he waschoking her.

  At sight of me, he gave voice to a roar of anger.

  "What means this, slave?" he cried. "Out of here! Out of here! Quick,before I kill you!"

  But for answer I rushed upon him, striking him with the butt of therifle. He staggered back, dropping Victory to the floor, and then hecried aloud for the guard, and came at me. Again and again I struckhim; but his thick skull might have been armor plate, for all thedamage I did it.

  He tried to close with me, seizing the rifle, but I was stronger thanhe, and, wrenching the weapon from his grasp, tossed it aside and madefor his throat with my bare hands. I had not dared fire the weapon forfear that its report would bring the larger guard stationed at thefarther end of the corridor.

  We struggled about the room, striking one another, knocking overfurniture, and rolling upon the floor. Menelek was a powerful man, andhe was fighting for his life. Continually he kept calling for theguard, until I succeeded in getting a grip upon his throat; but it wastoo late. His cries had been heard, and suddenly the door burst open,and a score of armed guardsmen rushed into the apartment.

  Victory seized the rifle from the floor and leaped between me and them.I had the black emperor upon his back, and both my hands were at histhroat, choking the life from him.

  The rest happened in the fraction of a second. There was a rendingcrash above us, then a deafening explosion within the chamber. Smokeand powder fumes filled the room. Half stunned, I rose from thelifeless body of my antagonist just in time to see Victory stagger toher feet and turn toward me. Slowly the smoke cleared to reveal theshattered remnants of the guard. A shell had fallen through the palaceroof and exploded just in the rear of the detachment of guardsmen whowere coming to the rescue of their emperor. Why neither Victory nor Iwere struck is a miracle. The room was a wreck. A great, jagged holewas torn in the ceiling, and the wall toward the corridor had beenblown entirely out.

  As I rose, Victory had risen, too, and started toward me. But when shesaw that I was uninjured she stopped, and stood there in the center ofthe demolished apartment looking at me. Her expression wasinscrutable--I could not guess whether she was glad to see me, or not.

  "Victory!" I cried. "Thank God that you are safe!" And I approachedher, a greater gladness in my heart than I had felt since the momentthat I knew the Coldwater must be swept beyond thirty.

  There was no answering gladness in her eyes. Instead, she stamped herlittle foot in anger.

  "Why did it have to be you who saved me!" she exclaimed. "I hate you!"

  "Hate me?" I asked. "Why should you hate me, Victory? I
do not hateyou. I--I--" What was I about to say? I was very close to her as agreat light broke over me. Why had I never realized it before? Thetruth accounted for a great many hitherto inexplicable moods that hadclaimed me from time to time since first I had seen Victory.

  "Why should I hate you?" she repeated. "Because Snider told me--hetold me that you had promised me to him, but he did not get me. Ikilled him, as I should like to kill you!"

  "Snider lied!" I cried. And then I seized her and held her in my arms,and made her listen to me, though she struggled and fought like a younglioness. "I love you, Victory. You must know that I love you--that Ihave always loved you, and that I never could have made so base apromise."

  She ceased her struggles, just a trifle, but still tried to push mefrom her. "You called me a barbarian!" she said.

  Ah, so that was it! That still rankled. I crushed her to me.

  "You could not love a barbarian," she went on, but she had ceased tostruggle.

  "But I do love a barbarian, Victory!" I cried, "the dearest barbarianin the world."

  She raised her eyes to mine, and then her smooth, brown arms encircledmy neck and drew my lips down to hers.

  "I love you--I have loved you always!" she said, and then she buriedher face upon my shoulder and sobbed. "I have been so unhappy," shesaid, "but I could not die while I thought that you might live."

  As we stood there, momentarily forgetful of all else than our new foundhappiness, the ferocity of the bombardment increased until scarcethirty seconds elapsed between the shells that rained about the palace.

  To remain long would be to invite certain death. We could not escapethe way that we had entered the apartment, for not only was thecorridor now choked with debris, but beyond the corridor there weredoubtless many members of the emperor's household who would stop us.

  Upon the opposite side of the room was another door, and toward this Iled the way. It opened into a third apartment with windows overlookingan inner court. From one of these windows I surveyed the courtyard.Apparently it was empty, and the rooms upon the opposite side wereunlighted.

  Assisting Victory to the open, I followed, and together we crossed thecourt, discovering upon the opposite side a number of wide, woodendoors set in the wall of the palace, with small windows between. As westood close behind one of the doors, listening, a horse within neighed.

  "The stables!" I whispered, and, a moment later, had pushed back a doorand entered. From the city about us we could hear the din of greatcommotion, and quite close the sounds of battle--the crack of thousandsof rifles, the yells of the soldiers, the hoarse commands of officers,and the blare of bugles.

  The bombardment had ceased as suddenly as it had commenced. I judgedthat the enemy was storming the city, for the sounds we heard were thesounds of hand-to-hand combat.

  Within the stables I groped about until I had found saddles and bridlesfor two horses. But afterward, in the darkness, I could find but asingle mount. The doors of the opposite side, leading to the street,were open, and we could see great multitudes of men, women, andchildren fleeing toward the west. Soldiers, afoot and mounted, werejoining the mad exodus. Now and then a camel or an elephant would passbearing some officer or dignitary to safety. It was evident that thecity would fall at any moment--a fact which was amply proclaimed by theterror-stricken haste of the fear-mad mob.

  Horse, camel, and elephant trod helpless women and children beneaththeir feet. A common soldier dragged a general from his mount, and,leaping to the animal's back, fled down the packed street toward thewest. A woman seized a gun and brained a court dignitary, whose horsehad trampled her child to death. Shrieks, curses, commands,supplications filled the air. It was a frightful scene--one that willbe burned upon my memory forever.

  I had saddled and bridled the single horse which had evidently beenoverlooked by the royal household in its flight, and, standing a littleback in the shadow of the stable's interior, Victory and I watched thesurging throng without.

  To have entered it would have been to have courted greater danger thanwe were already in. We decided to wait until the stress of blacksthinned, and for more than an hour we stood there while the sounds ofbattle raged upon the eastern side of the city and the population flewtoward the west. More and more numerous became the uniformed soldiersamong the fleeing throng, until, toward the last, the street was packedwith them. It was no orderly retreat, but a rout, complete andterrible.

  The fighting was steadily approaching us now, until the crack of riflessounded in the very street upon which we were looking. And then came ahandful of brave men--a little rear guard backing slowly toward thewest, working their smoking rifles in feverish haste as they firedvolley after volley at the foe we could not see.

  But these were pressed back and back until the first line of the enemycame opposite our shelter. They were men of medium height, with olivecomplexions and almond eyes. In them I recognized the descendants ofthe ancient Chinese race.

  They were well uniformed and superbly armed, and they fought bravelyand under perfect discipline. So rapt was I in the exciting eventstranspiring in the street that I did not hear the approach of a body ofmen from behind. It was a party of the conquerors who had entered thepalace and were searching it.

  They came upon us so unexpectedly that we were prisoners before werealized what had happened. That night we were held under a strongguard just outside the eastern wall of the city, and the next morningwere started upon a long march toward the east.

  Our captors were not unkind to us, and treated the women prisoners withrespect. We marched for many days--so many that I lost count ofthem--and at last we came to another city--a Chinese city thistime--which stands upon the site of ancient Moscow.

  It is only a small frontier city, but it is well built and well kept.Here a large military force is maintained, and here also, is a terminusof the railroad that crosses modern China to the Pacific.

  There was every evidence of a high civilization in all that we sawwithin the city, which, in connection with the humane treatment thathad been accorded all prisoners upon the long and tiresome march,encouraged me to hope that I might appeal to some high officer here forthe treatment which my rank and birth merited.

  We could converse with our captors only through the medium ofinterpreters who spoke both Chinese and Abyssinian. But there weremany of these, and shortly after we reached the city I persuaded one ofthem to carry a verbal message to the officer who had commanded thetroops during the return from New Gondar, asking that I might be givena hearing by some high official.

  The reply to my request was a summons to appear before the officer towhom I had addressed my appeal. A sergeant came for me along with theinterpreter, and I managed to obtain his permission to let Victoryaccompany me--I had never left her alone with the prisoners since wehad been captured.

  To my delight I found that the officer into whose presence we wereconducted spoke Abyssinian fluently. He was astounded when I told himthat I was a Pan-American. Unlike all others whom I had spoken withsince my arrival in Europe, he was well acquainted with ancienthistory--was familiar with twentieth century conditions in Pan-America,and after putting a half dozen questions to me was satisfied that Ispoke the truth.

  When I told him that Victory was Queen of England he showed littlesurprise, telling me that in their recent explorations in ancientRussia they had found many descendants of the old nobility and royalty.

  He immediately set aside a comfortable house for us, furnished us withservants and with money, and in other ways showed us every attentionand kindness.

  He told me that he would telegraph his emperor at once, and the resultwas that we were presently commanded to repair to Peking and presentourselves before the ruler.

  We made the journey in a comfortable railway carriage, through acountry which, as we traveled farther toward the east, showedincreasing evidence of prosperity and wealth.

  At the imperial court we were received with great kindness, t
he emperorbeing most inquisitive about the state of modern Pan-America. He toldme that while he personally deplored the existence of the strictregulations which had raised a barrier between the east and the west,he had felt, as had his predecessors, that recognition of the wishes ofthe great Pan-American federation would be most conducive to thecontinued peace of the world.

  His empire includes all of Asia, and the islands of the Pacific as fareast as 175dW. The empire of Japan no longer exists, having beenconquered and absorbed by China over a hundred years ago. ThePhilippines are well administered, and constitute one of the mostprogressive colonies of the Chinese empire.

  The emperor told me that the building of this great empire and thespreading of enlightenment among its diversified and savage peoples hadrequired all the best efforts of nearly two hundred years. Upon hisaccession to the throne he had found the labor well nigh perfected andhad turned his attention to the reclamation of Europe.

  His ambition is to wrest it from the hands of the blacks, and then toattempt the work of elevating its fallen peoples to the high estatefrom which the Great War precipitated them.

  I asked him who was victorious in that war, and he shook his head sadlyas he replied:

  "Pan-America, perhaps, and China, with the blacks of Abyssinia," hesaid. "Those who did not fight were the only ones to reap any of therewards that are supposed to belong to victory. The combatants reapednaught but annihilation. You have seen--better than any man you mustrealize that there was no victory for any nation embroiled in thatfrightful war."

  "When did it end?" I asked him.

  Again he shook his head. "It has not ended yet. There has never beena formal peace declared in Europe. After a while there were none leftto make peace, and the rude tribes which sprang from the survivorscontinued to fight among themselves because they knew no bettercondition of society. War razed the works of man--war and pestilencerazed man. God give that there shall never be such another war!"

  You all know how Porfirio Johnson returned to Pan-America with JohnAlvarez in chains; how Alvarez's trial raised a popular demonstrationthat the government could not ignore. His eloquent appeal--not forhimself, but for me--is historic, as are its results. You know how afleet was sent across the Atlantic to search for me, how therestrictions against crossing thirty to one hundred seventy-five wereremoved forever, and how the officers were brought to Peking, arrivingupon the very day that Victory and I were married at the imperial court.

  My return to Pan-America was very different from anything I couldpossibly have imagined a year before. Instead of being received as atraitor to my country, I was acclaimed a hero. It was good to get backagain, good to witness the kindly treatment that was accorded my dearVictory, and when I learned that Delcarte and Taylor had been found atthe mouth of the Rhine and were already back in Pan-America my joy wasunalloyed.

  And now we are going back, Victory and I, with the men and themunitions and power to reclaim England for her queen. Again I shallcross thirty, but under what altered conditions!

  A new epoch for Europe is inaugurated, with enlightened China on theeast and enlightened Pan-America on the west--the two great peacepowers whom God has preserved to regenerate chastened and forgivenEurope. I have been through much--I have suffered much, but I have wontwo great laurel wreaths beyond thirty. One is the opportunity torescue Europe from barbarism, the other is a little barbarian, and thegreater of these is--Victory.