“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.