Sennar

“ However that be, and however distressing the situation of those princes, we cannot but be satisfied with it when we look to the neighbouring kingdom of Sennaar, or Nubia. There no mountain is trusted with the confinement of their princes, but, as soon as the father dies, the throats of all the collaterals, and all their descendents that can be laid hold of, are cut; and this is the case with all the black states in the desert west of Sennaar, Dar Fowr, Selé, and Bagirma. ”

“ But Senor Johnson, to-day, found himself unable to do this. In spite of his best efforts he caught himself straining toward the distant goal, becoming impatient, trying to measure progress by landmarks—in short acting like a tenderfoot on the desert, who wears himself down and dies, not from the hardship, but from the nervous strain which he does not know how to avoid. Senor Johnson knew this as well as you and I. He cursed himself vigorously, and began with great resolution to think of something else.
He was aroused from this by Tom Rich, riding alongside. "Somebody coming, Senor," said he. ”

“ It was a city without people.
Frank brought the Dart to a stop, and all gazed upon the scene for a time with deep interest.
“The lost Atlantis!” declared Prof. Von Bulow. “It is not a myth, after all.”
“Do you suppose there is any treasure in the place?” asked Captain Bell, with sudden inspiration.
All laughed at this, and Frank said:
“Bell, you will yet gain the reputation of treasure hunter.”
“That is what I am,” acknowledged the captain. “I have been hunting for a fortune all my life, and I mean to have it before I die, if I have luck.” ”

“ But before doing this he half prostrated himself at Frank’s feet.
“Oh! good, kind American!” he cried. “There will always be a place in the heart of Nicolas for you. Never shall I forget you!”
Then all mounted their horses. The couriers rode in advance. All saluted the voyagers and then the cavalcade dashed away.
Our voyagers watched them until long out of sight.
Then Frank Reade, Jr., drew a deep breath.
“One man’s wrongs righted!” he said. “I am very glad!”
“Amen!” said Professor Gaston, and Barney and Pomp looked their feelings. ”

“ Barney followed him.
For some way they kept on. The path was plain and well worn. But as yet nothing had been seen of animal or human being.
The cavern was now enlarging into mighty arched chambers.
It was as light as day under those beautiful arches of ice, and truly a sight beautiful beyond description.
The ice assumed all sorts of fantastic shapes, and the roof of the mighty cavern seemed supported by huge pillars.
“This is like a trip to Fairyland!” cried Frank, rapturously.
But suddenly Barney clutched him by the arm.
The Celt’s face showed terror.
“Shure, sor, whativer is that?” ”

“ But, senor, I have received so many wounds in different ways, and have bled so much, that I marvel I have any blood left in me at all."
"I regret that the cut is so severe," said Ronald, as the condé held up his hand, from which the blood streamed freely.
"Pho! senor; to express regret, though it may appear very generous, is folly. A few minutes since we would with pleasure have passed our blades through each other's hearts,—but that feeling is past now. Ho! Mendizabal. Rogue! why do you tarry? ”

“ The east and south winds also are, in Sennaar, cool breezes; because they come either from the mountains of Abyssinia, or the huge and high ranges which compose the Gibel el Gumara. I was in Sennaar at Midsummer, and at no time found the heat very uncomfortable, provided I was in the open air, and under a shade. In the cottages and houses, indeed, on account of their want of ventilation, the heat was excessive.
I made during my stay in Sennaar frequent inquiries about the fly mentioned by Bruce ”

“ Pomp, let her descend!”
The darky nodded his woolly head, and let the airship descend toward the lagoon.
All the escaping pirates saw the Jove; a babel of excited voices rose, and they pulled swiftly through the creek to the sea.
The fog rolled up just then and hid them.
Finally Zamora cried:
“There’s a ship—the Golden Lion—at the inlet!”
“She stands luffed up, and all are boarding her, too,” said Frank, critically. “They design to escape.”
In a remarkably short space of time all the fugitives had boarded the vessel, and she sped away. ”

“ Words can hardly express the sensations of the captain.
He stared at the scene, and then a sharp ejaculation escaped him.
“By Neptune! it is Jerry Dooley!”
His gaze was fixed upon a man who stood in the edge of the camp talking with three others. He was a man of smooth face, shifting gaze and stealthy manner. His appearance was that of a sea-faring man.
In him Nicodemus recognized one of the crew of the wrecked ship, who had been a companion of his at the time that the lake came back, and as Nicodemus had always believed, had drowned the entire crew left at the mound of gold. ”

“ UP THE FIORD. In an instant all were crowded about the Celt, and interested in his strange discovery.
“Shure, phwereiver did this poor sowl come from?” cried the Celt. “Shure, he must have died here!”
“Golly! did yo’ ebber see de beat ob dat?” cried Pomp, in amazement.
“A human skull!” ejaculated Randall. “How is it, Frank? Is not that proof that these frozen latitudes are inhabited?”
“It is proof that they have been visited before by man,” agreed Frank. “It looks like the skull of a civilized man.”
“And so it is, mates,” cried Wendel. ”

“ You must hear it, senor, since you are now one of us; and when I am no longer here to protect her, then she will be yours. And although you will never be able to do more than old Nuflo for her, perhaps she will be better pleased; and you, senor, better able to exist innocently by her side, without eating flesh, since you will always have that rare flower to delight you. But the story would take long to tell. You shall hear it all as we journey to Riolama. What else will there be to talk about when we are walking that long distance, and when we sit at night by the fire? ”

“ The Irishman gave a yell and landed upon his back upon the ice.
He barely had time to roll aside when the grinding runners flew by within an inch of his body, for Frank had seen what had befallen him, and swiftly steered the Ranger aside.
Had the steel blade hit the Irishman, it would have cut him in two, for the weight of the boat was considerable, as it was very large.
“Be heavens! I’ve broke me neck!” roared Barney.
“Man oberboa’d!” shouted Pomp, seeing the mishap. “Man oberboa’d!”
The coon rushed out on the deck, and when the Ranger passed Barney, he scrambled to his feet. ”

“ The American sailors were among the Norwegians, and when they saw the stars and stripes fluttering from one of the Ranger’s masts, they set up a loud cheer.
Both captains then hailed Frank, asking what sort of craft the flying ice ship was, and he told them and asked:
“Has the Red Eric, of Boston, arrived here yet?”
“No, sir,” replied one of the captains; “but as we know she is coming here, we are on the lookout for her daily.”
“Is the captain a friend of yours?”
“Oh, no; nor any one else’s, for that matter,” replied the whaler. “He’s a very ugly man, who is not liked very much by any one.” ”

“ Barney and Pomp fled toward the pilot-house to close the doors and sink the boat. But they were too late.
The Spaniards were upon them. A sharp struggle followed and they were quickly overpowered. Then from the bottom of the cruiser’s boat Poole sprung up and cleared the rail with a yell of triumph.
“Throw them overboard!” he yelled. “Dead men tell no tales! The submarine boat is ours!”
But Azata was cooler, and said:
“Not yet, senor. There is time enough for that. We may need them to tell us where the gold is. Search the craft!”
Poole led the marines exultantly into the Diver’s cabin. ”

“ The servant that had conducted me to Sennaar, and was then with us, went forward close to him, and said, in a kind of whisper, "Should he go often to the king?"—"When he pleases; he may go to see the town, and take a walk, but never alone, and also to the palace, that, when he returns to his own country, he may report he saw a king at Sennaar, that neither knows how to govern, nor will suffer others to teach him; who knows [442] not how to make war, and yet will not sit in peace." ”

“ It was in a little valley that is quite near here: you will go through it to-morrow, senor.
"We had brought food with us, for we knew we might be more than one day out, and when we had found the cattle we looked for a place to camp. We headed the steers down the creek, and came out into this canon. And here we saw the house, the same house, senor: so you see it is quite old, but it was old then, too. We were surprised, for we did not know there was a house there at all, and we had been born at San Fernando, and we thought we knew everybody that lived this way as far as Ventura. ”

“ His plan to rescue Mabel Dane and her father was set at naught. The brigands led him across the rope bridge, and he was cast into a leaking and vile smelling hut for the night.
Frank’s sensations were not of the pleasantest. But he bore up bravely.
But the next morning he was led from his prison house by an armed guard.
He was placed with his back to a tall palm tree, and an armed guard at fifty paces covered him with their carbines.
Red Muriel stood by with a cruel smile upon his dark face.
“This time, senor,” he said, derisively and vengefully, “no power on earth shall save you. ”

“ Night finally shut down, dark and moonless. But with the searchlight it was easy for the Diver to travel, with no fear of a collision.
She was rapidly nearing Key West, and would the next day be in Gulf waters. The air was fresh and delightful, and the voyagers sat out on deck until a late hour.
While thus enjoying themselves, suddenly Barney sprung up.
“Shure, sor!” he cried, motioning to Frank, “there’s a lot of colored loights over there. Phwat do yez make av it?”
“A vessel in distress!” exclaimed Frank, as he scrutinized the distant signals. “Do you suppose it was our schooner?” ”

“ However, this was the time for action.
“Now for the mound of gold!” cried Frank. “We shall have to get our bearings from you, captain.”
“All right!” cried Nicodemus, studying the shore a moment. “North by east, skipper!”
Barney started the air-ship forward in the direction indicated. Soon the lake bed was beneath them.
As the Spectre sailed on over the sands, suddenly Nicodemus clutched Frank’s arm and said:
“There they are!”
A body of men were seen rushing rapidly across the lake bed. They were Dooley and his gang. ”

“ Now Barney had not one at hand, but he shouted:
“Howld an an’ I’ll get a rope. Shure, I’ll help ye!”
And away went the whole-souled Irishman back to the airship.
The raft was drifting very slowly so he had plenty of time.
But when he reached the Dart his first move was to sound the alarm. Very quickly all hands were on deck.
“What’s the matter?” asked Frank, who came up with his rifle in his hand.
“Shure, sor, there’s a poor divil out there on a raft as wants help!” cried Barney.
“On a raft?”
“Yis, sor.”
“Dear me!” exclaimed Professor Gaston. “Let us hasten to his relief!” ”

“ But there was another power, and it was felt before the voyagers were half across.
Suddenly the coracle began to wabble and turn. Randall and the sailors pulled harder at the paddles.
But it did no good. The little craft began to rock most violently.
“What in the deuce is the matter?” asked Randall, excitedly. “What ails the boat?”
“I think the waves are rising in the lake,” said Wendel. “Yes, there is really some commotion under us, mates.”
“Right!” cried Frank, as he balanced the coracle. “Keep steady, or we’ll be over.” ”

“ This ice will never break up.”
“You are wrong!” cried Frank. “This is an airship. We sail in the air.”
“An airship!” the poor fellow passed his hand across his brow in a troubled manner. “No, no; it is really a dream! I shall soon awake, as I have many times before.”
Then he lapsed into a revery.
“Let him be!” said Frank, compassionately. “Poor fellow, his brain is weak. He will be stronger soon.”
Barney was soon himself again and as chipper as ever. ”

“ Riveting his attention intently upon it he suddenly cried:
“By thunder, there’s a man in the water!”
“Whar?” gasped Pomp, in startled tones.
“Astern of that steamer to the southeast.”
“Surah ‘nough! It am a man!”
“Barney, steer for that steamer!”
“I will that!” and off went the engine on another tack.
When she drew close to the man she paused, and they saw that he was almost naked and clung to a broken plank.
Down settled the Pegasus, and when she drew near the surface of the water Frank shouted:
“Ahoy there!”
“A voice!” cried the man in the water, joyfully.
“Catch this rope and come aboard!” ”

“ Two minutes!"
"Good Lord A'mighty!"
"Speak–quick!"
"It's as much as my life is worth!"
"Very well. Ten seconds more!"
The outlaw was as pale as death.
The bandages around his head added to the look of unutterable woe upon his haggard face.
He trembled like an aspen, and burst into a cold, clammy perspiration, and was breathing heavily.
Jack glanced up from his watch.
"Time's up!" he exclaimed.
"Mercy!"
"Speak, or perish!"
"Yes! yes! I'll tell."
"Well?"
"To-morrow at two o'clock they'll be in Husking Valley." ”

“ Salkeld. We are certainly not approaching the West India islands. We are, in fact, off the coast of Mexico, and the mountain you see in the distance is the famed peak of Orizaba. To-morrow morning we shall drop anchor in the port of Vera Cruz.”
“And what shall I do there, Senor?”
He smiled at the question—a mysterious smile, which had a grim meaning behind it.
“Who knows, Senor? There are many occupations for a young and active gentleman.”
Now, for the life of me I could not help asking him a very pertinent question before I left the cabin to return on deck. ”