The Day of Resis

Yes, there were thousands of these. The great field on the opposite side of the avenue was completely filled with them and their animals. Tents of beautiful colors spread over the plain, their peculiar shape suggesting scenes of the Orient. These tents were large and roomy, one side being half turned back so as to admit plenty of air; the floor was covered with soft, skin rugs, and in the centre was a small, round table of wood, on which was resting a lamp.

As our friends approached, the scene was so strange and novel, they thought they had never before seen anything quite so interesting. The glare of the volcano half lighted the level plain giving a reddish glow to everything within its rays, and the lights inside the tents throwing out the varied colors of the beautiful cloth, made these tents look like huge, Japanese lanterns. The ashes had been removed from the floor of each tent and piled up at one side, thus giving a clean floor for the rugs and small mattresses which were used for sleeping on.

As our party came up the whole body of men, who had been informed of the King’s approach, drew up in front of the camp in a line along the avenue, and waited for him to say something to them.

“My men,” said the King, “you are called here on a mission which had never before fallen to the lot of Onians. A great storm has visited On and has left as a legacy of its mighty strength, a great crack in the wall which surrounds our world. This must not remain so, for it is meant that we should be guarded by the wall, and consequently we must close up the trench. It will be a mighty undertaking, the great wall about the hunting reserve being nothing in comparison to it. It will require a great length of time to do this work and you who have come to do this, will have to remain here at the same work until it is finished, as it will be impossible to go from here each day and take up other duties. We are a great distance from the city, and it will not be possible for you to return frequently, but this you shall do as often as you decide upon among yourselves. To-morrow we will move to the pit where the great work is to be done, and after finishing all preliminary arrangements we will commence at once.

“This is to protect our good country and I know the work will be done well and quickly. Until to-morrow, then, I will bid you farewell.”

The men bowed in their stately way and the King and his party moved on to the villa.

The volcano seemed to be especially active to-night, the smoke not being as black, but more steam seemed to be mixed with it. The fires, too, seemed to be very active, for the glare would be very bright at times and illuminate the entire heavens, and then dying until scarcely a ray of light could be seen. And several times during the evening a low rumbling was heard, and the earth trembled slightly; then the volcano would throw forth an immense shower of hot ashes, rocks and stones and make the hissing noise, reaching over this great distance to the party at the villa, who were on the terrace watching the scene which was ever changing and ever interesting.

“It is more fitful to-night than ever,” said Mr. Bruce, to Mr. Graham.

“Yes,” said Mr. Graham, “and I think we are foolish in staying so close to this seething mass of lava, rock and ashes which may overflow its bounds and engulf us at any moment.”

“But we are far enough away to escape if we should be threatened,” said Mr. Bruce.

“So the Pompeiians and even those of Herculaneum thought, as they laughed and jested on, while old Vesuvius was preparing to bury them,” said Mr. Graham.

“Then you think we had better leave this place?” asked Mr. Bruce, convinced himself that they were playing with fire by remaining here.

“I do most assuredly,” replied Mr. Graham, “but I hate to do so, for this sight is grand and one which we may never see again.”

“Would it not be well to conduct the ladies to some villa at a safe distance and then return and see the thing out. I confess it has a strange fascination for me, and I would like to see the grand climax,” said Mr. Bruce.

“That may be a long time coming,” said Mr. Graham, “for these things are very uncertain.”

“That is true,” said Mr. Bruce, “but I have a strange premonition or something, whatever you might call it, that this grand finale will come very soon.”

“If it does,” said Mr. Graham, “and catches us here we are doomed.”

Onrai and Enola then came up and turning to the King, Mr. Bruce said: “Aren’t you a little hasty in sending your men to work on that dreadful volcano?”

“I may be,” said Onrai, “but I have taken your advice in the matter.”

“I did give you such advice,” said Mr. Bruce, “but I did not think at the time that the volcano would assume such a lively attitude. You may be interested in knowing, Onrai, that that great seething mass of ashes and melted rock, may overflow its confines at any time and destroy every man in this party, if he were near enough to it.”

As Mr. Bruce finished speaking, an unusually severe shock was felt, and great showers of red-hot coals were driven high into the air, and then, falling back into the crater, all was dark for a moment, after which the volcano assumed the same appearance as it had ever in its quieter moments, for the last twenty-four hours.

“I do not think it is advisable to send the men to the mountain just yet,” said Mr. Bruce. “We will want them.”

The party remained on the terrace until far into the night, witnessing the weird sight. The volcano might be said to be in a state of eruption now, but not a violent state of eruption.

“It is certainly throwing off enough matter to be considered in a state of eruption,” said Mr. Graham, as he and Mr. Bruce were about to retire for the night. “But if it grows no worse than this, we are safe.”

“But it will get worse,” said Mr. Bruce.

But, notwithstanding this prediction, on the following morning when the party arose and looked at the volcano, the first thing that had been their wont to do ever since being here, they were surprised to see only a thin column of smoke rising from the volcano. The black cloud had entirely disappeared and a vaporous volume now rising might be taken for that coming from a camp fire, so small and insignificant was it. Mr. Graham and Mr. Bruce looked in astonishment at this new freak in the rather prolific volcano, and were unable to offer any explanations.

“It is beyond explaining, I think,” said Mr. Graham, after the two had stood for a long time contemplating the now almost lifeless volcano.

“It is more than I expected, at any rate,” said Mr. Bruce, a little slowly, as he remembered his last words of the night before.

“You were not alone in your belief of yesterday,” said Mr. Graham, “for we all expected to see a mighty eruption.”

“It is better as it is, probably,” said Mr. Bruce, “but I am disappointed. If it remains as tranquil as this another twenty-four hours, I shall make another visit to its crater and see if it is really as quiet as it looks.”

“And I will go with you,” said Mr. Graham.

So the day wore on and night came and went and another day broke fresh, beautiful and sunshiny, and the volcano was as quiet as on the morning previous.

“What do you think of the volcano, to-day?” asked Onrai of Mr. Bruce. “Will it be advisable for me to start the men to work?”

“I think you can send them to the volcano to-day with perfect safety,” said Mr. Bruce. “The danger is past, I think, for the present, but may not be for good, for the volcano, now that it has again broken out, may become active frequently.”

“Enough,” said Onrai, “I will get the men in readiness, for they can work but a week at this time, as they will have to return to the city to celebrate the Day of Resis. All are required to be there on that day. During this week they can get well started, and upon their return they can begin where they left off. Would you like to accompany me?”

“With pleasure,” added they all in chorus, and together they started for the camp on the other side of the avenue.

The men had been up for sometime, the morning meal had been eaten and the remains cleared away, and they were now awaiting orders from the King. The party crossed the avenue and immediately upon the word being sent around the camp that the King was with them, all were attention and awaiting orders. One of the men, who seemed to have command, came forward and received orders from the King to get in readiness at once, and proceed to the cliff to begin operations. It took but a moment for the word to be sent flying around the camp, and in an instant, almost, the tents were lowered, rolled up and placed upon the backs of the zebras and elephants, and the men in line to start.

“If these men are as practical in their fighting as they are in this kind of work, what an army they would make,” said Harry, who had spent five years in one of the crack regiments of the O. N. G., and thought he understood the art of breaking camp.

“These men could be made regular fighting machines,” said Mr. Bruce. “Did you see how they fought on the nights when the negroes tried to make the attack on the villa? They stood like statues until the hot breath of the negroes were in their faces, and then their arms rose and fell like automatons, and each stroke killed its man. I never saw a cooler piece of business in my life.”

“Their great ability in this direction is to be wasted though, if such an ability can be wasted,” said Harry; “for with the crevice closed again, they will never have a chance to try their powers in this direction against invaders.”

“No,” said Mr. Bruce, “but it is far better as it is.”

The men had now fallen into line, none of them riding, for only the pack animals were to be taken. In a column of tens they started on their march over the bad lands toward the crevice. There were fully five thousand of these, and they made a most imposing sight as they marched in perfect order, each man having slung over his shoulder, his cross-bow, and in his belt, his dagger and ax. These equipments had been brought along for two reasons; they might have to fight off the negroes, and then they had to make hunting tours to get meat for the camp. In perfect step, this army of giants moved toward the cliffs. They had gone several miles, when, looming up before them, they saw an immense body of negroes, speared and hatcheted, and ready for the fray.