“And the volcano!”
Even while the words were on his lips, the ground began to shake convulsively, and with a cry, Helena fell back in the boat in a dead faint. Maurice and Justinian were thrown to the ground, and high above, amid the encircling peaks, shot up a mighty column of smoke, streaked with red fire.
“The volcano!” cried Maurice, dragging his uncle to his feet. “Quick! quick! get into the boat. Dick! Alexandros!”
They were both beside him, and assisted to take the Demarch towards the boat, but, to their dismay, found it had been left high and dry by the receding waters, which were curling backward from the land in streaks of livid white. The volcano now began to cast out great stones, and at intervals showers of boiling water, while lurid flames flashed fiercely through the gigantic column of smoke which loomed terrible and vague above the fatal island.
“God! we will be killed!” cried Maurice, as, with the aid of Dick and Alexandros, he began to push the boat slowly towards the sea. “Helena! Helena! lie down at the bottom of the boat.”
In order to push the craft to sea, Maurice had been forced to leave his uncle, but the old man was now on his feet running towards him. Suddenly there was a shriek of agony, and through the falling stones, through the blinding dust, through the rain of fire, rushed Caliphronas, making for the boat.
“Save me, save me, Justinian! Maurice, help!”
“Traitor!” cried Justinian, turning fiercely on the Greek; “now you shall reap the reward of your treachery.”
A thick, sulphurous smoke was spread around, and in this the two men were struggling, locked in a deathly grip. Temistocles and his three countrymen were already afloat, pulling away as hard as they could; but Maurice gave himself up for lost, as, in spite of all his efforts and those of Dick, the boat was too firmly imbedded in the sand to be moved. Great bombs came shooting up into the sky from the heart of the volcano, and, bursting in the lurid air, huge rocks and showers of stones came crashing down on all sides; and, to add to the horror of the night, Maurice, with a cry of despair, saw the sea rushing violently up to the land.
“Uncle! uncle! the boat! the boat!”